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Unfortunately, much of history education has placed great emphasis on the accomplishments of men in the fields of science, politics, and even the arts. While many of these men are due their recognition, it has often overshadowed the significant contributions made by women that have created their own legacies in the field of psychiatry and mental health as a whole.
Let’s take a look at a list of some women you may not have heard of that have taken the field of psychiatry into the future and use them as an example of why women’s contributions to history should be in the spotlight a lot more than they are now.
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Best known as the author of the revolutionary book On Death and Dying, Kubler-Ross was a Swiss-American psychiatrist who created the theory of the five stages of grief, and taught hundreds of thousands of students in various medical schools, universities, hospitals, and other institutions on the psychological effects of death and dying. She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame for her groundbreaking work.
Nawal El Saadawi
Born in Egypt, this psychiatrist, writer, and activist was very outspoken about the role of women in Islam, and in particular, the brutal practice of female genital mutilation in her community. She’s won many awards for her significant contributions to women’s rights, such as the Inana International Prize and the North-South Prize from the Council of Europe. El Saadawi founded and was the Arab Women’s Solidarity Association president and co-founded the Arab Association for Human Rights.
Marie Nyswander
Nyswander is the woman to thank for the modern use of methadone in the treatment of heroin addiction. Back in the 1960s, she joined her then soon to be husband on a study where she studied the effects of narcotics on addicts and discovered methadone’s effectiveness. She also helped revolutionize the medical view of addiction, changing its definition from a personality disorder to metabolic disease.
Carole Lieberman
A psychiatrist and forensic expert witness, her expertise has served to aid famous murder cases, such as the murder of Scott Amedure. She’s also been featured as an expert on various media outlets such as The Dr. Phil Show, CBS News, NBC News, and Insider: Celebrity Stalking and the Role of Social Media.
Dorothy Otnow Lewis
Another prominent figure in the field of forensic psychiatry, Lewis, has been an expert witness in various high-profile criminal cases. Her work has primarily evolved the study of violent individuals and death row inmates suffering from dissociative identity disorder. This led to her becoming the director of the DID clinic at Bellevue Hospital in New York and her eventual professorship at Yale University.
There are many other exciting fields in psychiatry that you should look into if you’re interested in learning more about the industry, which you can read about here.
Frances Cress Welsing
An Afrocentrist psychiatrist, Welsing devoted herself to exploring the origins of white supremacy, most notable through her essay The Cress Theory Of Color Confrontation and Racism. She also authored The Isis Papers: The Keys To Color, the delved deep into the subject of white animosity toward people of color.
Sally Satel
Sally Satel is currently lecturer at the Yale School of Medicine and has gain notoriety for her publications on political correctness and its effects on the medical field, addiction, and has been featured on various other outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and more scholarly publications like Policy Review.
Eva Ritvo
Co-founder of the Bold Beauty Project, an art exhibition showcasing the beauty of diverse women with disabilities, her work has primarily focused on women’s empowerment. Currently practicing in Miami Beach, her career has spanned more than 20 years, and she continues to be heavily involved in the media, working with the TODAY Show, EXTRA, and more.
