Redefining patriotism

What does the word patriot mean to you?

To me, a patriot is someone who rises above adversity to uplift others — not just for their own gain, but for their families, their communities, and the collective good. In the field of mental health, patriotism isn’t just about service, it’s about advocacy. To truly honor our clients, we must be willing to fight for them. Anything less dishonors their trust.

To my brothers and sisters in the military: I love y’all.

Being in the military was like being in a family of misfits, and I’m grateful I carried the flag with you. But this ain’t about us right now.

This is about the mental health leaders who fought battles most of the country never saw and won.

I want to recognize two Americans who radically transformed therapy and fought for justice within the mental health system:

Dr. Martha Bernal — the first Latina woman to earn a Ph.D. in psychology in the U.S. (1962).

She designed the Ethnic Identity Questionnaire, making space for culture and identity to be seen in therapy, not erased.

She developed behavioral interventions for Mexican-American children and co-founded the Board of Ethnic Minority Affairs within the APA. Her legacy helped birth the National Latino Psychological Association.

Dr. Thema Bryant — the first Black woman to lead the American Psychological Association.

She has fought relentlessly to hold psychology accountable for its role in marginalization — helping push the APA to publicly acknowledge historical harm.

Dr. Bryant launched public trauma recovery programs rooted in culture, and founded the Culture & Trauma Research Lab at Pepperdine to make healing more accessible to communities too often left behind.

These women are patriots in every sense of the word. They changed psychology by making room for people like us to be seen in it.