Stephanie (Reiter) Ramsay first arrived at UW-Madison determined to pursue a degree in psychology. Drawn by the university’s reputation, research programs, and deep community ties, Ramsay ‘12 saw UW’s psychology program as the catalyst for numerous future opportunities. Her path from undergrad psych major to founder of her own private practice was possible by taking advantage of the many opportunities afforded to her.
Ramsay’s undergraduate experience is rooted in clinical psychology. As a research assistant at the Waisman Center, she studied brain imaging in children adopted from overseas orphanages, sparking her interest in working with people—an interest deepened during her study abroad in Australia, where she explored international relations and diverse cultures.
After graduating from UW–Madison, she earned a master’s in counseling psychology at the University of Denver, blending her research-heavy UW foundation with a clinical focus. Her experience at Waisman motivated her to pursue an internship in the behavioral health unit at Porter Adventist Hospital, and as a second-year intern at Jefferson Center for Mental Health, she helped pitch and launch a drop-in crisis center—a standout moment in her training.
Ramsay’s career soon took her from coast to coast. In Los Angeles, she worked with underserved populations as a behavioral health unit therapist, then in New York City she expanded her experience in partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs, and private practice, earning licensure in both states. Seeing the need for continuity of care among her entertainment and finance clients who frequently traveled between coasts, she founded her own practice, Blueprint Therapy and Wellness.
Ramsay leaned into creativity and self-trust to develop her business, eventually opening in Chicago where she is physically located, and offering services across California, New York, and Illinois.
In her work, no two days are the same. She balances individual and couples clients with intakes, treatment planning, and collaboration with outside providers. It’s a full picture – “holistic care,” she calls it.
Ramsay’s advice for current UW psych majors is to trust their instincts, seek advice from professors and TAs, and be prepared to pave their own paths. Talking with her instructors, she recalls thinking, ‘How can I recreate that person’s path?’ The answer was simple: she couldn’t. She had to create her own.
Ramsay also advises students to attend every class. “15 years later, I still look at notes that I took during lectures as a refresher,” Ramsay says.
Her journey shows that there’s no single pathway for success in psychology. “To be trusted by somebody in the trenches is such a privilege and an honor,” says Ramsay. “It is a really beautiful moment to see people find liberation in moments where they find me to be safe enough to be vulnerable with as their therapist. It can take many sessions, many years, but there’s always healing and freedom possible.”
Written by Kate Lewicki ’26