Dennis ArpWidely respected counseling psychologist Rashanta Bledman ’05, Ph.D., is the newest member of the President’s Cabinet at Chapman University.
“I am thrilled that one of our most successful alumnae has agreed to help shape the future of our university,” said Daniele C. Struppa, president of Chapman University. “Dr. Bledman is a thought leader who brings standout skills and a unique voice to her work and to our team.”
A multicultural psychologist, Bledman has a particular expertise counseling sexual assault survivors as well as diverse populations. Providing individual and group therapy, Bledman helps clients learn to manage depression, anxiety, body-image dissatisfaction, eating disorders, racial trauma, issues of racial/ethnic identity, sexual orientation identity development, queer issues and gender identity. She uses a collaborative approach to highlight strength and resilience.
She notes that her clinical work is not only influenced by empirical research, but also by her experiences as a first-generation Black/Caribbean-American woman.
At Chapman, Bledman earned her BA in psychology with a minor in sociology, before receiving her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Her research and collaborations have been published in the Handbook of Counseling Psychology, The Journal of Black Psychology and other psychological journals.
Bledman’s practice and scholarship have been recognized by the American Psychological Association and the University of Maryland President’s Commission on Women’s Issues. Her primary office is in Washington, D.C.
