Every March, we honor women’s contributions throughout American history as part of Women’s History Month. The National Women’s History Alliance’s theme for 2024 is about recognizing women who worked to eliminate bias and discrimination from our lives and institutions.
In this post, we’ll highlight women who made strides in the mental health field, improved care for marginalized communities, and advocated for themselves— all while facing established forces that tried to misinterpret or discredit them.
6 women who made an impact in the mental health industry
1) E. Kitch Childs, PhD (1937 – 1993)
Kitch Childs was an American clinical psychologist who advocated for the rights of marginalized women, sex workers, and the queer community. She helped found the Association for Women in Psychology and was the first Black woman to earn her doctorate in Human Development at the University of Chicago.
She strongly supported feminist therapy and used a treatment model that helped her clients advocate for themselves and racial justice. In 1993, Dr. Childs was also inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame for helping remove homosexuality from being listed as a psychological disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
2) Mami Phipps Clark, PhD (1917 – 1983)
Mamie Phipps Clark, an American social psychologist, was the first Black woman to get a doctoral degree in psychology from Columbia University. She partnered with her husband, Kenneth Clark, to expand her thesis research on self-identification in black children.
This work eventually shifted into the well-known “doll tests,” which looked at the psychological effects of segregation on African-American children. Dr. Clark and her husband’s testimony during Brown vs. Board of Education contributed to the decision to end segregation in public schools.
3) Melanie Klein (1882 – 1960)
Austrian-British author and psychoanalyst Melanie Klein is known for her work in child analysis. She was one of the first to use psychoanalysis on children and implemented several new techniques and tools, such as play therapy, that helped children communicate about psychological issues.
She’s also recognized as one of the creators of object relations theory, which emphasizes interactions between individuals. The theory suggests that people are primarily motivated by the need for contact with others and to form relationships.
4) Martha E. Bernal, PhD (1931 – 2001)
Martha E. Bernal was the first Latina to receive a PhD in psychology in the U.S. Some of her biggest contributions include advancing multicultural psychology and treatment for children with behavior problems.
She recognized that psychology had subtly instilled inaccurate ideas about race and the clinical treatment of marginalized communities, so she was moved to create more diverse research and speak out against injustice.
Dr. Bernal published around 60 journal articles and book chapters, led several associations throughout her career, and inspired a new generation of Latino/a psychologists by mentoring students and encouraging their learning.
5) Mary Whiton Calkins (1863 – 1930)
Mary Whiton Calkins was part of the first generation of American psychologists and was the first female President of the American Psychological Association (APA). Calkins has a long record of impressive accomplishments, such as inventing the paired-associates technique, founding one of the first laboratories in psychology, and writing four books and over 100 articles.
Although Calkins was allowed to attend seminars at Harvard University (a male-only institution at the time) and passed all the requirements needed to earn a PhD, she was never given the degree simply because she was a woman.
6) Reiko Homma True, PhD (1933 – Present)
Reiko Homma True made significant improvements in mental health treatment for Asian American women. For example, her work titled “Psychotherapeutic Issues with Asian American Women” (1990) highlights the importance of cultural competency.
The journal article argues that healthcare professionals need to be trained to meet the needs of a culturally diverse public. That includes using interpreters and reevaluating the individualistic assumptions found in white Western psychology concepts.
These days, Dr. True continues to support Asian psychologists in navigating the Western system of psychology education and practice. She also works with the nonprofit NichiBei Care to provide mental health services to Japanese individuals worldwide.
Resources from the MHTTC and others
Our team at the South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network (MHTTC) collected a list of resources to help you learn more about supporting women’s mental health and overall well-being.
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The MHTTC network resources
- An Introduction to Perinatal Mental Health Awareness and Screening: This introductory webinar by Mountain Plains MHTTC highlights common perinatal mental health concerns, symptoms, and validated screening tools for use in multiple settings.
- Applying Culturally Responsive and Trauma-Informed Care at the Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and Mental Health Flipbook: A Great Lakes MHTTC training series with webinar recordings, practitioner resources, and evidence-based recommendations for providing culturally responsive and trauma-informed care to those experiencing mental illness and trauma as a result of intimate partner violence (IPV) and/or domestic violence (DV).
- Black Women and Postpartum Depression Fact Sheet: This fact sheet from Central East MHTTC provides information about postpartum depression (PPD) and explains why women of color are more at risk for developing PPD.
- Diversity & Difference | Podcast: Aleks Martin, LSWAIC SUDP presents skills for building provider well-being from an inclusion and equity perspective, including multiple dimensions of self-care.
- Mental Health Bytes: Suicide Prevention for Young Latinas: Mental Health Bytes is a series of short videos by the National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center discussing mental health topics around Latinos.
- Perinatal Mental Health Disorders (PMHDs): Supporting Latinxs: This factsheet provides information on cultural considerations for mental health providers working with Latinx populations experiencing or at risk for PMHDs.
- Rites and Rituals: Bringing a Cultural Lens to Positive Youth Development for Black Girls: Ashlye Durrell, MSW from Advocates for Human Potential identifies experiences unique to youth of color, addresses four key needs to support positive identity for youth of color, and more.
Resources from other organizations
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- Intimate Partner Violence within the Military and Veteran Community
- Supporting Mental Health of Immigrant Women
American Psychological Association
- Women’s Resources (including webinars, fact sheets, and relevant publications)
Mental Health America
National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
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