Dr. Ragnar

Dr. Ragnar

Founder, DNP, PMHNP

Dr. Ragnar, DNP, PMHNP. Founder of LiveWell Psychiatry & Men's Health. Sees patients in Oregon and Washington for ADHD, depression, anxiety, addiction, and the long tail after sobriety. Anti-soft-validation, pro-actually-fixing-the-thing. Believes the goal of treatment isn't lifetime management, it's making himself unnecessary. Writes here for the guys who know there's something going on, but haven't figured out how to say it yet.

295 posts by this author · Practice site & full bio

Clinical profile

Credentials

  • DNP
  • PMHNP-BC
  • NPI 1780403915

Active licenses

  • Oregon 10034127
  • Washington AP61615356

Clinical focus

  • Psychiatry
  • Men's mental health
  • Men's health
  • ADHD
  • Adult ADHD
  • Depression
  • Mood disorders
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Anxiety
  • Panic disorder
  • OCD
  • PTSD
Why “Self-Care” Misses the Point (And What Actually Works)
Treatment · 9 min read

Why “Self-Care” Misses the Point (And What Actually Works)

I'm not against bubble baths. If a hot bath and some candles make you feel better, great, do that, nobody's coming for your candles.

Aug 18, 2025
Ambien
Medications · 11 min read

Ambien

Ambien gets handed out like Tic Tacs. Primary care hands it out, urgent care hands it out, the dentist hands it out before a crown.

Aug 16, 2025
ERISA vs State-Regulated Plans (Why It Matters When You Appeal)
Off Script · 13 min read

ERISA vs State-Regulated Plans (Why It Matters When You Appeal)

If you have ever fought a health insurance denial for a psychiatric medication, an inpatient stay, or a residential program, you've probably noticed…

Aug 16, 2025
Ritalin and Methylphenidate
Medications · 9 min read

Ritalin and Methylphenidate

Methylphenidate has been around since 1944 and is still, in 2026, one of the most reliable molecules in psychiatry. Ritalin is the original brand.

Aug 14, 2025
Beating Prior Authorization Denials in Psych (The Clinician’s Survival Guide)
Off Script · 13 min read

Beating Prior Authorization Denials in Psych (The Clinician’s Survival Guide)

Why prior auth exists, and why your psych patients get hit twice as hard Prior authorization (PA) is the process where, before an insurance company will…

Aug 13, 2025
Medicare for Patients Under 65 (SSDI Disability + Mental Health Coverage)
Off Script · 17 min read

Medicare for Patients Under 65 (SSDI Disability + Mental Health Coverage)

Medicare isn’t just a senior thing, and that surprises a lot of guys Most people grow up thinking Medicare is the program your grandfather is on. You hit…

Aug 11, 2025
Call It What It Is: The Naming Method Explained
Treatment · 8 min read

Call It What It Is: The Naming Method Explained

This is the core of how I work with people, so it's worth getting on the page in plain English. The Naming Method comes down to one principle.

Aug 9, 2025
HDHPs, HSAs, and Mental Health Coverage
Off Script · 11 min read

HDHPs, HSAs, and Mental Health Coverage

What an HDHP actually is, in plain English Every fall during open enrollment your HR portal lights up with a plan called something like "Choice HSA 3000"…

Aug 8, 2025
Getting On Insurance Panels: The Credentialing Game
Off Script · 15 min read

Getting On Insurance Panels: The Credentialing Game

If you’re a licensed clinician and you’ve been circling the question of whether to get on insurance panels, you’ve probably gotten a lot of advice that’s either cheerleading…

Aug 6, 2025
Propranolol
Medications · 10 min read

Propranolol

Propranolol is a cardiology drug that wandered into psychiatry by accident and stayed because it does one specific thing well.

Aug 3, 2025
Medicaid for Mental Health Care in Oregon and Washington
Off Script · 13 min read

Medicaid for Mental Health Care in Oregon and Washington

If you’re an adult in Oregon or Washington and you’re scraping by, there’s a real chance Medicaid covers you, and a real chance it covers more of your…

Aug 3, 2025
How to Actually Appeal an Insurance Denial
Off Script · 16 min read

How to Actually Appeal an Insurance Denial

Insurance denied your mental health claim.

Jul 31, 2025