When you search for a Ryan Long school psychologist, you aren't just looking for a LinkedIn profile or a list of credentials. Honestly, the story is heavy. It's a mix of a brilliant professional career and a deeply tragic end that shook the Seacoast region of New Hampshire in late 2025.
Ryan Long wasn't just some guy in an office at Oyster River Middle School. He was the person kids went to when their world felt like it was falling apart. He was a leader, a former President of the New Hampshire Association of School Psychologists (NHASP), and an adjunct instructor at Plymouth State University.
People who knew him describe him as "the kid in the back of the room making you laugh." He had this big, infectious personality. But beneath the humor was a serious clinician who specialized in the "mental game"—the intersection of behavior and success.
The Career of a Dedicated Clinician
Ryan didn't just stumble into school psychology. He worked for it. He earned his Psy.D. from the University of Southern Maine. His dissertation focused on something called "Response Interruption and Redirection" applied to life skills tasks.
Basically, he was interested in how we can help people with developmental disabilities stay engaged and learn better.
For nine years, he was a fixture in the Oyster River Cooperative School District. He wasn't just a "test giver" who stayed in a tiny office. He was a Ryan Long school psychologist who advocated for social-emotional learning (SEL) before it was a buzzword. He understood that if a kid’s head isn't right, they aren't going to learn math. Simple as that.
A Man of Many Hats
Ryan’s professional life was broad. Check this out:
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- He was a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).
- He worked as a part-time instructor for graduate students.
- He had ties to NAMI-NH and Seacoast Mental Health.
- He was a "consummate professional" according to his colleagues at NHASP.
He also had a whole other side as a mental performance coach. He worked with athletes, helping them push past "the yips" or trauma from sports injuries. He used EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to help people process "Big T" and "small t" traumas.
The Diagnosis That Changed Everything
In April 2025, things took a sharp, cruel turn. Ryan was diagnosed with glioblastoma.
If you don't know what that is, it’s a fast-growing, aggressive brain tumor. It’s one of the toughest diagnoses a person can get. Despite the news, friends say he fought to have more time. He wanted to watch his kids grow.
He was only 48.
His wife, Emily, was vocal on social media about the struggle. She shared the toll the diagnosis took on their family. There’s a lot of nuance here that people miss—the intersection of a terminal physical illness and the mental health of the entire family unit.
What Really Happened in Madbury?
In August 2025, the news broke about a tragedy in Madbury, New Hampshire. It's the kind of thing that makes a small town go silent.
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Authorities determined that Emily Long shot Ryan, their eight-year-old son Parker, and their six-year-old daughter Ryan, before taking her own life. A toddler was found unharmed in the home. It was a murder-suicide that left the community—and the professional psychology world—reeling.
How does a family of mental health advocates and school professionals end up here?
It’s a question that doesn't have a clean answer. Some point to the immense pressure of the glioblastoma diagnosis. Others look at Emily’s own documented struggles with mental health in the weeks leading up to the event. The Attorney General’s office confirmed the details, but the "why" remains a messy, painful shadow.
Remembering the Impact
When a Ryan Long school psychologist is mentioned now, the conversation often shifts to the tragedy. But his colleagues want to remember the man who "lit up a room."
Joseph Mahoney, the NHASP President, noted that Ryan was someone who could hold the "big picture and the details" at the same time. He was a mentor to grad students. He was the guy who would pick up the phone and help a stranger navigate the licensing process while his own toddler was climbing on him.
He was human.
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Actionable Insights for the Community
This story isn't just a news item; it's a wake-up call about the pressures on those who care for our kids. If you're looking for what to do next or how to process this, here are the takeaways:
1. Support the Survivors
A fundraiser was established for the surviving toddler, which raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. Supporting the remaining family members is the most direct way to honor the memory of those lost.
2. Recognize the Toll of Caregiving
The "School Psychologist Distress Inventory" and recent studies in the Journal of School Psychology highlight that practitioners are facing record-high levels of burnout. If you work in a school, advocate for systemic changes—not just "self-care" hashtags.
3. Address Terminal Illness and Mental Health
When a family member receives a diagnosis like glioblastoma, the mental health support needs to be for the entire family. Caregiver burnout can lead to extreme psychological distress. Don't wait for a crisis to ask for extra help.
4. Use the Resources
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988. It's the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free, it's confidential, and it's there 24/7.
The legacy of a Ryan Long school psychologist should be the thousands of children he helped and the professional standards he raised. He dedicated his life to the "mental game," and while his story ended in an unthinkable way, his work in the New Hampshire school system continues to influence how educators support their students today.