"At meetings, her manner in speaking was not strident, but always sharing, friendly, and enthused about her subjects. She did not attack the listener; wrong thinking was the target," wrote Eleanor Yachnes, M.D., in "Remembering Alexandra Symonds," The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, Vol. 60, No. 3, 2000.
"She usually came up with a practical suggestion, even if sometimes it was just to consider something a little while longer...She thanked people for giving their opinions and often made a point of acknowledging their positions even though she disagreed with them. This did a lot to soften stubbornness and rancor. [Dr. Symonds] was a healer. This is a large part of why, years later, she is still so greatly missed."
Dr. Alexandra Symonds (1918-1992) was an accomplished clinician and Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association known for her advocacy for women’s mental health and commitment to advancing women’s representation in the field. She lived to see Carol Nadelson, M.D., break the glass ceiling of attaining the APA presidency in 1985, a milestone for female psychiatrists across the country and around the world. We are proud to feature Dr. Symonds as a champion of women’s rights during Women’s History Month.
"Allie," as she was known to friends, received her degree in medicine from New York Medical College in 1948 and spent her psychiatric career in private practice, first in Brooklyn and then in Manhattan. She was a consultant to several agencies and held teaching appointments at NYU Medical and Nursing schools, the New School for Social Research, and Iona College.
In addition to chairing the APA’s Women’s Caucus, she founded and served as the first president of the Association of Women Psychiatrists. Her career honors included the inaugural Association of Women Psychiatrists’ Alexandra Symonds Award and the Susan B. Anthony Award from the New York chapter of the National Organization for Women. The APA’s inaugural Alexandra Symonds Award was bestowed in 1997 to honor Dr. Symonds after her death in 1992.
Noteworthy APA Alexandra Symonds Award winners include:
- Nada Stotland, M.D., in 2000 — Six Easy Lessons in the Care of Women Patients: Using What You Already Know to Improve Your Practice
- Altha Stewart, M.D., in 2006 — Changing the Landscape of American Psychiatry: An African-American Perspective on Expansive Personality in Women
- Samantha Meltzer-Brody, M.D., M.P.H., in 2019 — This Can’t Be as Good as It Gets: The Importance of Disruptive Innovation in Reproductive Psychiatry
"The APA Foundation Awards are unique opportunities to highlight psychiatrists whose work stands to inspire future generations," said APA Foundation Executive Director Rawle Andrews, Jr. "Alexandra Symonds' legacy encourages female rising stars in psychiatry to lift as they climb, advocating the expansion of the field to include more marginalized groups. We are honored to host this award in Dr. Symonds' name."
Nominations and applications for the 2026 Alexandra Symonds Award open on May 30, 2025. Nominate a peer whose professional life is dedicated to the advancement of women’s mental health care and the inclusion of women in psychiatry: apaf.org/awards.