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D.E.A.R.
Ph.D. · LMFT · LCMFT · BCC · Industrial / Organizational Psychologist

D.E.A.R. Abby Consulting, LLC  ·  Where Organizational Science Meets Human Understanding

Consulting for cultural,
leadership, & strategic
organizational change.

You built something worth building. I help you make it work, for your people, your mission, and the community you were created to serve. I use industrial & organizational psychology to increase results through the lens of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

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100+
Organizations Served
4
Graduate Degrees
PK–12
Education Sector Expertise
JEDI
Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion
Dr. Abigail K. Hasberry
Dr. Hasberry
About Abby

Abigail K. Hasberry, Ph.D.

I have extensive experience with founding schools at the preschool through high school level, and with school leadership across every model: charter, private, nonprofit, for-profit, and traditional public. I have coached more than a hundred school founders and educational organization leaders from across the country, and I bring with me a network composed of funders, fellowship providers, people in facility finance and charter school support, community engagement experts, former superintendents, talent management leaders, and other founders.

I am a former teacher, diversity coordinator, college professor, and founding school principal in PK-12 schools. I am also Texas superintendent certified and a practicing marriage and family therapist. That last piece matters: the therapeutic lens shows up directly in how I approach leadership development, work/life balance, and the overall well-being of the organizations I work with.

I specialize in diversity, talent management, leadership development, and organizational culture. My work also spans identity development, recruitment, and mission alignment, with a particular focus on educational nonprofit and for-profit organizations committed to social justice, access, and equity.

My consulting is tailored to each organization and grounded in theory and research from the industrial/organizational psychology field. I meet my clients where they are, build on what is already working, and support growth areas, all while holding the absolute necessity of a healthy work/life balance and organizational culture at the center.

Ph.D. Curriculum & Instruction · UNLV M.S. Industrial & Organizational Leadership · Walden University M.Ed. Counseling & Development, Marriage, Couple & Family Counseling · Lamar University M.A. Teaching · Goucher College B.S. African American Studies & Sociology Licensed: LMFT (Texas, Michigan) · LCMFT (Maryland) · Board Certified Coach (BCC) Texas Superintendent Certified
The Framework

What Does
D.E.A.R. Mean?

Every engagement I lead is grounded in four core beliefs about what makes organizations, schools, and learning communities thrive. These are not abstract values. They are the lens through which I assess, strategize, and partner with every client.

D Diversity

Building Communities That Reflect the World

If "variety is the spice of life," diversity is the key to any successful educational environment. Diverse learning communities should include students, faculty, and staff from varying religions, abilities, sexual orientations, cultures, ethnic and racial groups, socioeconomic statuses, worldviews, and more. Diversity creates the kind of exposure that builds comfort for groups often underrepresented in educational settings, while generating the productive discomfort that leads to exploration, communication, and genuine understanding. Growing up in diverse settings allows students to relate to others and to be relatable by others.

E Equity

Fair, Impartial Access for Every Student

Equity is defined as "the quality of being fair and impartial." Educational equity refers to equal access and achievement for all students regardless of race, socioeconomic status, gender, or zip code. Historically, the U.S. has failed at providing equitable educational experiences to all children. True equity means equal funding, equal facilities, access to top-quality teachers, and equal resources regardless of school or district. Charter school missions are very often built on the principles of educational equity, aimed at providing equitable experiences to low-income families, students of color, and those living in underserved communities.

A Access

Individualized Pathways to Learning

Having educational access means that each student has the opportunity to learn in the way that works best for their needs. Access means providing accommodations that level the playing field. It does not mean equal treatment. It means that those who start at a disadvantage, or who have obstacles to learning, are given an opportunity that includes individualized accommodations designed to reduce those disadvantages and knock down barriers on the pathway to learning. Access is grounded in the belief that all students can learn if given a real chance.

R Rigor

The Foundation for Thinkers and Scholars

Rigor defines the learning environment. A rigorous environment provides opportunities to learn across disciplines and with creativity, personal accountability, and depth of knowledge. All elements of the academic experience: curriculum, expectations, instruction, and more, come together to form an environment that is personally and intellectually stimulating. Rigor is the foundation for thinking, questioning, communicating, teaching, and learning. Without rigor, the learning environment becomes uninteresting, detached, and fragmented. Rigor creates scholars.

How I Can Help

Where I Partner
With Your Organization

I am great at collaborating with leaders to deeply understand an organization and what makes it tick. I partner with you to do a deep dive into your strengths across all departments, overall structure, policies and procedures, and culture. I work from a relational model and focus on your team, its strengths, and its growth areas.

01

Organizational Culture & Identity

Assessing the heartbeat and personality of your organization to clarify who you are, align mission and vision to policies and procedures, and create a culture people actually want to be part of.

02

Leadership Development

Supporting founders, principals, and organizational leaders through coaching, thought partnership, and evidence-based strategies to deepen their effectiveness and expand their impact.

03

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Planning

Building intentional, sustainable diversity and inclusion practices grounded in the D.E.A.R. framework. Not performative. Not compliance-driven. Real, embedded, lasting change.

04

Talent Management & Strategic Hiring

Helping organizations recruit and retain the right people through strategic hiring practices, onboarding structures, and employee satisfaction and motivation assessments.

05

Work/Life Balance & Wellbeing

Integrating the therapeutic lens into organizational consulting to support leader and employee wellbeing, prevent burnout, and build sustainable organizational health from the inside out.

06

School Founding & Instructional Leadership

Guiding school founders through the full arc of founding: from vision and mission development to instructional leadership, facility planning, community engagement, and growth strategy.

Why Me

Theory Meets
Real-World Experience

  • I only work with organizations whose mission and vision align with my own core values: justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. This is not transactional. It is intentional partnership.
  • I pair I/O theory with deep real-world experience as a founder, principal, professor, diversity coordinator, and practicing therapist.
  • I listen first. I collect and analyze data before I strategize. You will never get a cookie-cutter plan from me.
  • I specialize in the BIPOC community and in educational and education-adjacent organizations. That focus is deliberate and it is where I do my best work.
  • I can serve you as a thought partner, strategist, connector, mentor, and more. I meet you exactly where you are.

"I want to provide startups and established organizations the direction, support, and theory-based strategies to be more effective."

Dr. Abigail K. Hasberry, Ph.D. · Founder, D.E.A.R. Abby Consulting, LLC
The R3 Framework

Reflect. Release.
Reinvent.

The R3 Framework is a structured therapeutic approach I have developed for anyone navigating complex relationships and transitions, whether personal or organizational. While it has powerful applications in adoption and family systems, it is not adoption-specific. It is a framework for any leader, team, or organization that needs to do the honest work of moving forward.

In an organizational context, R3 is the through-line I use when working with teams stuck in old patterns, leaders navigating identity shifts, and organizations in the middle of culture change. You cannot reinvent what you have not honestly reflected on. And you cannot build what you are still holding onto.

R1 Reflect

Honest Assessment

Taking a clear, unflinching look at where your organization actually is, not where you hoped it would be. This is the foundation. You cannot grow from a story you have not told honestly.

R2 Release

Letting Go of What Is Not Working

Identifying and releasing the patterns, structures, and narratives that are holding your organization back, even the ones that once served you. Release is not failure. It is a prerequisite for growth.

R3 Reinvent

Building What Comes Next

Co-creating a reimagined version of your organization grounded in your mission, your people, and where you are actually trying to go. This is where strategy meets identity, and where lasting change takes root.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions About
Working Together

What does an industrial/organizational psychologist do?

Industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology is the study of how individual employees and employees as a group behave within an organization. That information is paired with research to provide strategies to improve things like work productivity, policies and procedures, and culture. I/O psychology is an evidence-based field. Specifically, I/O consultants examine the heartbeat and personality of an organization and provide strategies through change management to increase organizational effectiveness. We assess everything from employee motivation and satisfaction to systems effectiveness to leadership, and so much more.

Who have you worked with?

I have worked with more than 100 school and educational organization leaders. You can see some of those organizations in the section below. Typically I work with BIPOC leaders and with organizations whose work is tied to education and educational models.

Why should I choose you?

I am really good at deeply understanding an organization and what makes it tick. I am able to pair theory with real-world experience and organizational effectiveness with employee motivation and satisfaction. I pride myself on being able to actively listen, collect and analyze data, collaborate, and then partner in strategizing a plan. I also work solely with organizations whose mission and vision align with my own core values. Hence my focus on working within the BIPOC community and with educational and education-adjacent organizations. I look forward to working with you.

Abby's Reach Includes

100+ Organizations Served

A growing community of BIPOC-led schools, nonprofits, and educational organizations across the country.

Denver Independent School i3 Academy Believe Schools Generational Success NOLA ABA Healing The Leadership School STL Cohort Sistas The Creative School PISOTA Homework Trenton Vocal Justice Homies Empowerment Young Authors Publishing ALIA Academy Essence Prep SA St. Louis Voices Academy Amateka College Prep Denver Independent School i3 Academy Believe Schools Generational Success NOLA ABA Healing The Leadership School STL Cohort Sistas The Creative School PISOTA Homework Trenton Vocal Justice Homies Empowerment Young Authors Publishing ALIA Academy Essence Prep SA St. Louis Voices Academy Amateka College Prep

+ many more organizations across charter, private, nonprofit, and for-profit educational sectors

Published Works

Books by
Dr. Hasberry

Practical, identity-affirming resources for leaders, educators, and the communities they serve.

Living Life on Purpose

15 Identity Affirming Lessons

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More titles available in the Shop.

Get In Touch

Start the
Conversation

The first conversation is a consultation: an honest look at where your organization is and where it needs to go. I work with a select number of organizations at a time so that every engagement gets my full attention. Tell me a little about where you are.

Email ahasberry@dearabbyconsulting.org
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Ready to Begin

Let's Build
Something Lasting

The first conversation is a consultation: an honest look at where your organization is and where it needs to go.

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Dr. Hasberry's Platform

Beyond consulting, Dr. Hasberry is a practicing marriage and family therapist, board certified coach, author, and documentary series creator. Her work spans multiple platforms, all grounded in the same commitment to justice, identity, and human flourishing.

Coaching Counseling Adoption Narrative Shift Adopting Privilege Research
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