It was rare one hundred years ago, but today women doctors and clinicians are well represented within the field of psychiatry and psychology. In the U.S. alone, roughly half of psychiatric medical residents are women and have been for the past 20 years. These female professionals across the globe stand on the shoulders of those before them. We honor these mental health pioneers who changed lives and left their mark on the field.
Elizabeth Schermerhorn Clubhouse International might not exist if not for Elizabeth Schermerhorn. She was the first female volunteer at the Rockland State Hospital male ward just outside New York City. She worked with a psychiatrist at the hospital in the early 1940s to help facilitate recovery through community building for patients who had left the hospital. Former patients formed a group called the WANA Society (We Are Not Alone) and it was working so well to improve their lives that Schermerhorn decided to invest in a brownstone where members could gather. They called it Fountain House because of the fountain on the patio. She was Fountain House’s first Board President. Today, nearly 80 years later, the first Clubhouse is still serving those recovering from serious mental illness. Clubhouse International, the organization formed in 1994 to expand the Clubhouse Model around the world, now includes a network of more than 370 Clubhouses across the globe and growing!
Dorothea Dix Dorothea Dix is credited with advocating for better treatment of those living with mental illness both in the U.S and abroad. In the 1800s she volunteered at a jail in Massachusetts, helping women inmates. It was there she saw inhumane treatment of people living with mental illness and found similar conditions inside hospitals throughout Massachusetts and nearby states. Unfortunately, she witnessed similar conditions in Europe. Her tireless advocacy led to the founding of more than 30 hospitals focused exclusively on the treatment of people with mental illness. She challenged the belief that people with mental illness could not be cured or helped.
Dr. Helen Boyle Dr. Helen Boyle was a pioneer in preventative mental health care, championing early intervention for women at a time when treatment typically came only in crisis, if at all. In 1890, she trained at the London School of Medicine for Women and went on to be the first female president of the Royal Medicao-Psychological Association. She founded several impactful organizations including the Brighton Guardianship Society which aimed to keep those with mental illness in their communities as well as the UK-based mental health nonprofit now known as MIND.
Nellie Bly Nellie Bly was a journalist who went undercover in 1887 to report on the deplorable conditions of a mental asylum on Roosevelt Island near New York City. While not easy, she feigned insanity and was placed in the asylum where she remained for ten days before her newspaper intervened. The experience led to the writing of the book, “Ten Days in a Mad-House,” and prompted meaningful and lasting mental health reform.
Anna Freud Lots of people remember Sigmund Freud, but his daughter Anna made her own mark in the field of psychology. She is the founder of child psychoanalysis. Anna used play therapy to help children express subconscious, complex, and/or traumatic feelings in a safe and developmentally appropriate way. She also founded the Hampstead Child Therapy Course and Clinic in London, which became a leading hub for child analysis and research. Today it is known as the Anna Freud Centre. She also expanded on her father’s work, focusing on how ego manages internal conflicts, stress, and defense mechanisms.
There are countless other women pioneers in the field of mental health. We celebrate their lasting work that has undoubtedly improved millions of lives. Learn more about women mental health trailblazers, here.
Sometimes you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. This is true for Willie, a member of the AIM Center, a Clubhouse in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
After nearly 100 hospitalizations, Willie was exhausted and frustrated. “I was known as a frequent flier and knew I needed something different or I was never getting out of this endless cycle.” In 2015 at age 22, he had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. He had begun experiencing things that others couldn’t see or hear, and he was struggling with thoughts about whether he wanted to keep going. But luckily another voice told him to get help. That was the start of his long mental health recovery journey. His counselor recommended he take a tour of a Clubhouse.
“On my tour in 2017 I could see how different the AIM Center was, it was not clinical and that intrigued me to join. I had a rocky start though. In the first few years things were just not clicking for me at Clubhouse,” said Willie. Fast forward to 2020 and the world shut down because of Covid. “The pandemic made me realize what I was missing out on. I did not fully appreciate how good I had it at the Clubhouse until Covid forced a shutdown. I knew when the Clubhouse re-opened that I had to get serious and intentional about my involvement. I needed to dive in fully and not allow this opportunity to slip through my hands.”
A light bulb had gone off. Previously Willie had viewed the Clubhouse’s adherence to a Work- Ordered Day as a burden. It’s a structured system that brings staff and members together as colleagues to manage the daily operations of a Clubhouse. It’s unique because responsibility for critical work is shared. Member’s strengths and interests are encouraged, and they get to choose the work that most interests them. “Many people living with serious mental illness are viewed only as patients and through a lens of limitations instead of their potential. The Clubhouse Work-Ordered Day restores their humanity and provides them with a framework to truly be seen, heard and needed,” said Joel Corcoran, Executive Director and CEO of Clubhouse International. An AIM Center staff member that worked closely with Willie told him he was a helper and needed to use that strength to not just help himself but other Clubhouse members. “I took her words seriously and began to realize that true recovery happened through the Work-Ordered Day. It’s the thing that helped me gain confidence and purpose, build resilience, and learn how to advocate for myself.”
It’s been three years since Willie has been hospitalized and he credits Clubhouse for helping him realize recovery. He’s been working with AIM Center’s Employment Resource Center to achieve his employment goals and today he’s a driver for an airport shuttle company. He recalls a hallmark experience at his last job that shows the incredible growth he has experienced through his Clubhouse. “My boss found out I was living with mental illness and apologized because she said if she had known she would have treated me differently. I immediately told her no, please do not treat me any differently than anyone else. I asked only for grace and patience and did not want or need any special treatment.”
In addition to steady work, Willie now has stable housing through AIM Center Housing, where he has lived since May 2018, and is back in school. “I’m six classes away from earning my associate’s degree and I plan to continue my education. A dream of mine is to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner, but I would be happy doing any meaningful work that sets out to help others.” The helper in him wants to change how care is delivered and to bring more dignity and respect to those living with serious mental illness. “Some of my physicians did not listen to me and even talked over me in quick five-minute appointments. I want to be a nurse practitioner that truly listens to my patients, takes the time to get to know them and helps them in their recovery journey because I have been in their shoes.”
Willie’s personal life has also improved through Clubhouse. When he first became a member, he met his now fiancée, Megan, during orientation. It was a time when he never believed he would find love or someone truly special. Megan has been a constant source of support both inside and outside the Clubhouse, walking alongside him through growth, healing, and transformation. What began in that shared orientation space has grown into nearly nine years together and a life they are now preparing to build as husband and wife.
Willie’s a testament to the efficacy of the Clubhouse Model. He recommends those currently struggling to get involved somewhere, including at Clubhouse if one is nearby. “You have to want the change. It will require hard work but your recovery is so worth it.”
Michael W. has spent a lifetime focused on his mental health. At age seven he was diagnosed with ADHD and recalls being isolated in school. “It was embarrassing because everyone knew you were from the special education class. We only got to interact with the other students at lunch.”
At 37, this memory is still a painful one. It was the beginning of feeling singled out and different. Along the way, Michael has had subsequent diagnoses, first bi-polar and more recently schizoaffective disorder. Throughout all the years of therapy and treatment he recalls feeling sub-human, like a robot. “Doctors made me feel like a diagnosis, not a person.” With a loving family who advocated for him, Michael remained hopeful. After five years at an unfilling day program, he was at a turning point. “I would attend from 9am-3pm and it was often chaotic, sometimes people would throw chairs. The worst part though was that I felt invisible, I was not progressing in my life, just existing.”
Determined to help, his therapist and parents decided he needed something different. Despite having reservations based on years of disappointment and lack of results, he kept an open mind about visiting Sanctuary House, a Clubhouse that follows the Clubhouse Model of psychosocial rehabilitation, in Greensboro, North Carolina.
“From day one, I liked the atmosphere. They make me feel like I’m part of the family and treat me like a human. They genuinely care about me and even on rough days they listen and help me get through it.”
Besides finding community at Sanctuary House, Michael has also found purpose. “I’m looking to start massage therapy school in August.” Michael says the Clubhouse has challenged him in good ways, never pushing but encouraging him to grow. “In the past, I felt like I was treated like a baby who could not make decisions on my own. People often think those living with mental illness are not smart or capable, but Sanctuary House sees the potential in me and has nurtured that.”
Michael has also found love at Sanctuary House. He met his fiancé who is also a member. He says the relationship would not have been possible without the help of his Clubhouse. “I knew I needed to work on myself first before I could commit to a serious relationship. Over the past few years I’ve done just that.”
Sanctuary House Director Anne Carter says the Michael she knows today is far different from the person that entered the Clubhouse nearly two years ago. “When he arrived, his parents did most of the talking for him but within a week the quiet person we first met emerged as a bold leader.” Clubhouse provided the environment and community for Michael to thrive. He now leads most of the tours for Sanctuary House and has a great group of friends.
Michael’s message to people that feel like they are merely existing with mental illness: “You are not alone. Every program is not the same, find a place where you can grow and learn to cope with your mental illness. For me that place is Sanctuary House.”
We’re excited to share a new resource to the U.S. Clubhouse network: the Clubhouse International Employer Database. Designed to strengthen employment development and expand networking across more than 250 Clubhouses, this tool will help identify, build, track, and learn from employer partnerships nationwide.
This secure online tool will help all U.S. Clubhouses:
Track and manage employer relationships.
Explore employers partnering with other Clubhouses nationwide.
Strengthen networking and collaboration.
Use shared information and insights to strengthen the development of Transitional Employment (TE) opportunities.
Access to the database and a PDF user guide will be provided through a secure online link located in the Employment Toolkit within the Portal. The same link will also be included in your initial login email.
For more information, contact Clubhouse International Employment Program Officer, Amber Weber at aweber@clubhouse-intl.org
This database is made possible with the generous support of Otsuka America Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Sweden is now experiencing remarkable growth in the Clubhouse movement. Thanks to years of coordinated advocacy, Sweden is on track to reach 20 Clubhouses nationwide — a milestone originally set for 2030, but now expected to be complete this year.
Since 2018, the Swedish Clubhouse Coalition (Sveriges Fontänhus Riksförbund) has had a dedicated staff member supporting new Clubhouse initiatives, growing from 12 Clubhouses to 20 by 2026. Combined with the outstanding work of the existing Clubhouses, a strong socio-economic evaluation demonstrating clear financial benefits for funders, and a Minister for Social Affairs who openly says he “loves the Clubhouse Model,” the movement in Sweden has gained real momentum.
Throughout 2025, several communities opened new Clubhouses or entered funded start-up phases, supported by the Swedish Clubhouse Coalition through training, political anchoring, and hands-on guidance. The national Fler Fontänhus Forum now brings emerging groups together for peer learning and mutual support — strengthening both quality and long-term sustainability.
This collective effort across members, local communities, politicians, and established Clubhouses is the driving force behind Sweden’s Clubhouse “baby boom,” creating more places of belonging, purpose, and recovery across the country.
Sweden’s Clubhouse “baby boom” stands as a powerful example of how coordinated advocacy, strong partnerships, and proven outcomes can accelerate growth across our global network. As new communities embrace the Clubhouse Model and demonstrate its impact, they help pave the way for other countries to follow. Each new Clubhouse contributes to a growing international movement rooted in belonging, opportunity, and recovery — a movement that continues to expand, inspire, and shape the future of mental health support worldwide.
Before joining Connections House Clubhouse in California, Charly felt the cards were stacked againsthim. His struggle with mental illness made it difficult to find stability and though he received some support, it wasn’t enough to help him regain his footing and truly thrive. In 2023 alone, Charly held eight jobs and faced homelessness three times.
He walked into the local Clubhouse, expecting it to be just another service. Instead, it changed hislife. He found a welcoming space built on connection, relationships, and a community where he no longer felt alone. Within a couple of weeks, the Clubhouse helped him stabilize his housing, develop budgeting skills, and grow his confidence so he could reach his goals faster and with fewer obstacles.
With Clubhouse and his new community beside him, Charly began pursuing his dream of working in child education. At Clubhouse, his goals weren’t dismissed, they were embraced.
“It’s like I’m already on a bike, riding toward my goals. Instead of telling me to getoff or change my route (like other services) Clubhouse asked,‘What modificationscan we make to help you get there?’”
Charly has been working as a Special Education Assistant for several years, helping students learn and grow every day.
“Knowing that I have a community that accepts me for who I am makes all thedifference. I learned that, to successfully sustain employment, you have to havesupport in other areas of your life.”
That’s the beauty of Clubhouse: membership is for life. Whether members need support through a challenge, guidance toward a new goal, or simply a place to celebrate success, their Clubhousecommunity is always there; steady, welcoming, and proud.
Your support makes this kind of transformation possible. When you give to Clubhouse International, you help people like Charly gain the tools and confidence to build a stable, meaningful life. Consider a life changing gift today:
