As part of Women's Health Month, ADAA's Women Mental Health SIG presents a series of blogs and videos showcasing women trailblazers in the mental health sector. Watch important conversations with women paving the way in mental health to learn from their experiences and their advances in the field and read the stories of women who were some of the first women to pursue and make an impact in their field. View the entire collection of women trailblazers below.

Blogs:

Anna Freud (1895-1982): Child Psychoanalysis and Child Psychology

Learn about Anna Frued, considered the founder of child psychoanalysis, who created a centre dedicated to child analysis and research which trained the first generation of child psychotherapists to work in the fledgling National Health Service in England. Written by Michelle Whitkin, PhD

Claire Weekes, MD, DSc (1903 – 1990): The Grandmother of Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Anxiety

Learn about Claire Weekes, MD, DSc, who originally studied zoology but made a career change in her 30's to research anxiety and fear in humans. Written by Elizabeth DuPont Spencer, LCSW-C

Eleanor Maccoby, PhD (1917-2018): Early Pioneer in Gender Studies and Child Development

Learn about Eleanore Maccoby, PhD, whose ground-breaking research on child development and gender studies effected various legal and social policies regarding children in divorcing families. Written by Karen Cassiday, PhD, ACT

Hedda Bolgar, PhD (1909–2013): Psychologist and Psychoanalyst

Learn about Hedda Bolgar, PhD, who received her doctorate from the University of Vienna in 1934, published anti-Nazi material and was forced to flee to the USA, where she worked as a psychologist until weeks before her death at the age of 103. Written by Vanessa Luchtan Finkelman, PsyD

Mamie Phipps Clark (1917-1983): Pioneer Psychologist on Racial Identity, Child Development, and Systemic Racism

Learn about Mamie Phipps Clark, PhD, a pioneering psychologist whose work fundamentally shaped our understanding of racial identity, child development, and the psychological impacts of systemic racism. Written by Shirnett Khorran-Gajaraj, MD, MPH, MSN, PMHNP-BC

Margaret Floy Washburn, PhD (1871 – 1939): First Woman to Earn a PhD in Psychology in the USA

Learn about Margaret Floy Washburn, PhD, the first woman in the United States to earn a PhD in psychology in 1894. Written by Jami Socha, PhD

Paula J. Clayton, MD (1934 – 2021): Pioneering Psychiatry with Passion and Precision

Learn about Paula Clayton, MD, an internationally recognized researcher, dedicated to destigmatizing mental health and advocating suicide prevention. Written by Karan Lamb, PsyD

VIDEOS:

Barbara Rothbaum, PhD, ABPP

Hear from Dr. Barbara Rothman on her decision to pursue a career in mental health, ways to advocate for women in the field, and the qualities that make a leader. Watch the interview here.

H. Blair Simpson, MD, PhD

Hear from ADAA's President Dr. H. Blair Simpson on her decision to pursue a career in mental health, what it was like to be the only woman in the room, and the role ADAA plays in advancing women leaders in mental health. Watch the interview here.

Judith Beck, PhD

Hear from Dr. Judith Beck on her decision to pursue a career in mental health, the role of her family in her career, and her best advice for others. Watch the interview here. 

Lisa Coyne, PhD

Hear from Dr. Lisa Coyne on her decision to pursue a career in mental health, and her advice to others joining the field. Watch the interview here. 

Sally Winston, PsyD

Hear from Dr. Sally Winston on her decision to pursue a career in mental health, the evolution she's seen of women leading in the mental health field, and ways to become a leader. Watch the interview here.