List of Influential Psychologists and Psychotherapists

Psychologists and psychotherapists impact our lives, shape the way we think, and act as experienced guides as we journey into uncharted territories. They provide invaluable insights into the world of healing, innovative developments for growth, and paths toward empowerment. We have chosen to highlight some of the most influential psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, and thinkers in history, giving a brief biography of their beginnings and their contributions to their profession.

Psychology began formally in 1879 with Wilhelm Wundt and the foundation of a laboratory for experimental study in Leipzig, Germany. But for centuries before, the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Indians, and Muslims practiced various forms of psychotherapy, attempting even then to explore the many facets of the mind. G. Stanley Hall was one of the first philosophers to introduce America to applied psychology, and it quickly spread to fields of law, industry, and business. At the same time, in Vienna, Sigmund Freud was beginning to gain recognition for his theories, which grew into modern day psychoanalysis.

Throughout the next century, multiple disciplines of psychology emerged, including behaviorism, neurobiology, linguistics, philosophy, and meditation. The most prominent and widely accepted form of psychology that was born during that time was cognitive science, resulting in numerous therapeutic techniques that are still employed today.

The majority of the psychologists represented on the following pages are men, as they were afforded more opportunities for education than women during the infancy of this field. In the last hundred years, however, women have been responsible for pioneering many of the advancements in psychology and their contributions are an integral part of the ever growing field of mental health. From Jung to Maslow, Adler to Ainsworth, many of the practitioners on these pages have long since left this world, but their work lives on. Others are still creating change today, offering their expertise and theories through education, clinical practice, and training.

A Nathan Ackerman Alfred Adler George Ainslie Mary Ainsworth Gordon Allport Harlene Anderson Steve Andreas Susan Aposhyan Solomon Asch Virginia Axline B Richard Bandler Albert Bandura Gregory Bateson Aaron Beck Daryl Bem Eric Berne Alfred Binet Murray Bowen John Bowlby Gerda Boyeson Charlotte Buhler C Mary Whiton Calkins Roger Callahan Raymond Cattell Stephen Ceci Nancy Chodorow Noam Chomsky Judith Cohen Ann Weiser Cornell Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi D Florence Denmark John Dewey Steve de Shazer E Paul Ekman Albert Ellis Milton Erickson Erik Erikson Hans Eysenck F William Ronald Fairbairn Moshe Feldenkrais Leon Festinger Lisa Firestone Robert Firestone Diana Fosha James Framo Viktor Frankl Anna Freud Sigmund Freud Friedrich Froebel Erich Fromm

G Eugene Gendlin Carol Gilligan Stephen Gilligan Brian Gilmartin William Glasser John Gottman Anthony Greenwald Joe Griffin John Grinder Bernard and Louise Guerney H Jay Haley Harry Harlow Harville Hendrix Judith Lewis Herman Karen Horney J Tad James William James Kay Redfield Jamison Irving Janis Arthur Janov Ann Jernberg Sue Johnson Virginia Johnson Edward Jones Carl Jung K Jon Kabat-Zinn Jerome Kagan Robert Kegan Walter Kempler Alfred Kinsey Melanie Klein Lawrence Kohlberg Heinz Kohut Emil Kraepelin Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Ron Kurtz L Jacques Lacan Bibb Latane Peter Levine Harry Levinson Kurt Lewin M Cloe Madanes Margaret Mahler Abraham Maslow William Masters Rollo May Margaret Mead Adolf Meyer Stanley Milgram John Stuart Mill Scott Miller Salvador Minuchin John Money Jacob Moreno Gardner Murphy N Margaret Naumburg Friedrich Nietzsche

O Pat Ogden Richard Olney P Peggy Pace Ivan Pavlov Fritz Perls Jean Piaget Michael Picucci Ira Progoff Inez Beverly Prosser R Otto Rank Terry Real Wilhelm Reich Carl Rogers Jack Lee Rosenberg Theodore Roszak S Virginia Satir Johannes Schultz Richard Schwartz Zindel Segal Francine Shapiro Daniel Siegel B.F. Skinner Hal and Sidra Stone Harry Stack Sullivan T John Teasdale Edward Thorndike U Benton Underwood Dimitri Uznadze V Steven Vazquez Lev Vygotsky W Margaret Floy Washburn John Watson Carl Whitaker Michael White Mark Williams Donald Winnicott Sula Wolff Wilhelm Wundt Y Irvin Yalom Michael Yapko Z Philip Zimbardo Ofer Zur

If there's someone important you'd like us to consider adding to this page, please feel free to suggest your ideas.

Last updated: 06/22/2012