7 E. Kitch Childs

GENERAL BIOGRAPHY

Ellen Kitch Childs was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1937, although many people did not know that her first name was Ellen, as they referred to her as ‘Kitch’. Few people knew Kitch well, as she kept her life hidden from anyone who she didn’t know. She was the youngest child in her family, as she was the sister to her three older brothers. She and her brothers moved away from Pittsburgh when she was young to her grandmother’s house in southern Chicago. She was known to be close with her oldest brother Kenny Clarke, who was a jazz drummer. During her early years, she grew up in a city which was heavily segregated and was also extremely violent, as it was the 1940s. Tragically, two of her brothers were killed because of racial violence, and with many things in her life, the ages of her brothers are not known. From this event, it is logical that her life would lead her to be an activist (Richardson, 2017).

Kitch was a talented singer and musician, and while she was at the University of Chicago, she was involved with many different music groups, such as the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, which toured Europe, along with being involved in the all-night environmental “Teach-Out” in 1971, where she was a folk singer. Her last performance was at the commemoration of Audre Lorde, another prominent figure in the feminist movement (Richardson, 2017).

With all of the projects that she was taking up, it took a toll on her physical and mental wellbeing. She was known to have self-medicated with marijuana, although little was known about the mental state of Kitch as she didn’t talk about it. Because she was the leader of many fights for rights in America, she didn’t have the time to sit down and take care of herself. With the movement becoming more and more mainstream, she realized that she didn’t have the political skills to be able to help, but that did not stop her (Richardson, 2017).

After 1991, she moved to Paris, France, following a woman whom she was in a relationship with at the time, although mistreatment of Americans at the time was commonplace. Along with the woes that come with a newfound bigotry, the relationship ultimately fell through. She moved in with her brother Kenny to Amsterdam in 1991 after the relationship ended. On January 10th, 1993, she died of heart failure at the age of 55 (Richardson, 2017).

IMPORTANT ACHIEVEMENTS

Childs was academically gifted, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh in her late adolescence, and she served in the U.S. Navy after she graduated. She then went on to get her master’s degree in human development at the University of Chicago, eventually getting a Ph.D. in human development in 1972, becoming the first Black woman to receive a doctorate in the human development degree at the University of Chicago. As she was getting her master’s degree, she went on to develop the University of Chicago’s Gay Liberation Movement, as she was a lesbian. She also went on to be a founding member of the Association of Women in Psychology (AWP) in 1969. The unifying issue that went onto develop the AWP was the rampant sexism in the field of psychology (Richardson, 2017).

In 1970, she moved to Oakland, California, to an inherited house, presumably from her brother Kenny. She brought the new wave of therapy, feminist therapy, which helped female clients be able to fight back against the rampant sexism that was abundant in the 70s, into her own practice. She took feminist therapy and made a new treatment plan that was more client-centered, which proved to be successful in treating her clients’ mental health. Conlin and Douglass (2023) define the process of feminist theory, saying, “Feminist therapists situate the problem within this environment and not within the individual; thus, this form of therapy inherently attends to the impact of oppression on mental health and offers a strengths-based approach in reframing clients’ distress.” She would even have appointments in her home to break down the barriers that appear when you first meet a therapist and have a homey environment to the therapy. She ran her practice from 1973-1990, receiving disability payments during that time too. The reasons why she was eligible for these payments were unknown, but these payments helped fund her practice, as she would offer her services at a low price (Richardson, 2017).

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Childs practiced psychology at the height of change in America, as her studies and work took place during the Civil Rights and feminist movements. These movements aimed to create an environment where all groups are treated equally, and Childs was a firm believer in equity for all, especially for women, women of color, and those that are part of the LGBTQ+ community. At this time in history, the gay rights and civil rights movements were exploding, with organizations being formed to combat the injustices seen in America at the time.

The gay rights movement began in 1969 with the Stonewall Riot, an event catapulted by frustration with police brutality in New York (Lorenzo, 2019). After this event, the gay rights movement became much more pronounced, and coupled with the civil rights movement, began to make waves in American policy and procedure. E. Kitch Childs was a big supporter of these movements, incorporating aspects of these movements like equality for all into her therapeutic techniques, providing therapeutic services to all regardless of race, class, or gender identity (Richardson, 2017). Although Childs was not as skilled at activism, she took up the call of the gay and civil rights movements of the time in her own way, providing therapy to those that were disadvantaged and discriminated against at the time.

At the time of Childs’ education, the field of psychology had a discriminatory view against the LGBTQ+ community, classifying homosexuality as a mental illness according to the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the DSM. This problematic view of the LGBTQ+ community led to harmful consequences for those that were a part of it, as they were believed to have an illness that could be cured through detrimental remedies like conversion therapy. Part of Childs’ work involved abolishing this view of the gay community and changing the way the APA classified homosexual individuals, as many psychiatrists of the time viewed homosexuality as an illness despite changing attitudes in America about the LGBTQ+ community (Herek, 2012). The field of psychology at the time was undergoing a major change in this area, as views in America as a whole began to shift. Once the American people began to accept homosexual individuals for who they were and moved past the ideal that being gay was a sickness, the field of psychology soon followed.

Another movement that influenced Childs’ work in psychology was the Women’s Liberation Movement, an effort that worked to end discrimination against women and create equity for females in society (Burkett, 2023). The Women’s Liberation Movement was commonly known as the “second wave” of feminism and was popularized in the 1960’s and 70’s, similar to the onset of the Civil Rights movement. This movement affected women in many different areas of life, not just in societal terms. This movement promoted equality for women in the home, the workplace, educational settings, and in political policy (Burkett, 2023). The goal here was to not only create equality for women, but to create equity, so that women were given just as many opportunities as men to succeed.

This cause was one Childs was passionate about, as evidenced through her practicing of feminist psychology. With the creation of the Women’s Liberation Movement came the National Organization for Women (NOW), which later inspired the creation of Childs’ AWP, as it influenced women to take a greater stand against discrimination in all areas of life (Burkett, 2023). All in all, this movement greatly influenced the field of psychology, promoting the creation of fair conditions for women in the field that were not present prior.

Although not much is known about Childs’ inner circle, she was influenced by fellow psychologist of the time Ellyn Kaschak, an individual who also practiced feminist theory and worked to serve the disadvantaged (Richardson, 2017). Kaschak began to entertain feminist theory in her college days, as she was rejected from entering a Ph.D. program due to her status as a woman in society. Kaschak is considered to be one of the founders of feminist therapy, a form of therapy that Childs practiced in her own work (Isaacs, 2020). In turn, Childs also influenced other psychologists, one of whom being Phyllis Chesler, a cofounder of the AWP (Jewish Women’s Archive). In addition to their shared psychological focus in feminist psychology, both women founded this organization together after frustrations arose over the discrimination against women in the field of psychology. The work of Childs has gone on to influence movements like the feminist movement and the gay rights movement and has also impacted countless individuals that have received therapy from her and experienced her philosophy firsthand.

HISTORICAL IMPACT

Childs had a large impact on psychology for many different reasons. She worked with the University of Chicago to found the Gay Liberation Front at the University of Chicago (Mulvale, 2020). She was able to destigmatize the idea behind being part of the LGBTQ+ community by joining in the get-togethers that the organization had to promote inclusivity. Because of her work with LGBTQ+ members in psychology, she was inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. She was able to earn her place there because of her work to remove the discriminatory position that the APA had on homosexuality. This was a huge movement in the field of psychology because, until 1973, homosexuality was classified as a mental disorder by the APA (Mulvale, 2020). By doing this, it opened a lot of research opportunities for other psychologists to discuss and study gender and sexual identity. This also allowed for a lot of psychological advancements in the way people view others and themselves. With the removal of being told that they are mentally ill, LGBTQ+ individuals were more likely to seek out therapy if they knew they were not going to be judged for who they are.

She was a main provider of therapy for LGBTQ+ individuals, sex workers, black individuals, people with HIV/AIDS, and people who fall under the poverty line. Childs expanded methods to provide therapy to these individuals and many other psychologists followed suit. She also provided this idea to the psychology community of a “sliding scale” for fees of therapy, which continues to be used today in both psychological and medical practice (Mulvale, 2020). Childs wanted to promote providing therapy to anyone even if they had little to no money to pay for it. This is something that later feminist psychologists adopted for their practices as well (Richardson, 2017). Psychological work with these minority groups expanded due to Childs’ research and activism.

Childs’ research and activism provided people with more education regarding the psychology of minority groups and individuals. Working with the COYOTE (Call Off Your Tired Ethics) allowed Childs to promote women’s rights if they are involved in prostitution (Richardson, 2017). Women who were involved in prostitution were seen as having a mental illness or that they were not proper women. Childs worked with COYOTE to break those psychological stereotypes and promote better understanding from people. She provided therapy out of her house and in the clients’ homes to allow minorities to feel more comfortable while they were going through therapy. She felt that a clinic was not going to be as genuine, and she would not be able to be herself with her clients (Richardson, 2017). This provided progression in psychology because she helped promote the idea of comfort and bonding in therapy sessions. Many psychologists and therapists continue to try to make their spaces comfortable for their clients today as a result.

In addition to working with COYOTE and the Gay Liberation Front, Childs founded the Association for Women in Psychology (AWP) in 1969 (Giri, 2014). The AWP is still an active community to this day. Her work to uphold these values has sustained as the missions and visions are continuing to be taught today. The AWP is a community of psychologists who express feminist ideas by challenging privilege that oppresses people in psychology and society (AWP, 2023). The organization works to create a more inclusive world by reducing sexism and oppression. Some of the goals of the AWP are to provide training for its members, challenge ideas about mental health, understand how identities overlap, and promote research and activism. The AWP wants to eliminate discrimination for groups like gender, race, age, sexual orientation, religion, size, etc (AWP, 2023). As Childs was a founder of this organization, her work and activism continues to make an impact on women in psychology, as well as other oppressed groups.

Overall, Childs was someone who greatly impacted the future of psychology. As a black, lesbian woman, Childs opened up a new door for providing therapy to other individuals that were part of a minority. She was an activist for these minorities and provided changes in laws and definitions that negatively impacted those in the community. Childs’ work has continued to influence psychology today as she was one of the first psychologists to provide these kinds of resources to people.

References

Association for Women in Psychology (2023) About – Association for women in psychology. https://www.awpsych.org/about.php

Burkett, Elinor. “women’s rights movement”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Oct. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/event/womens-movement. Accessed 13 November 2023

. Conlin, S. E., & Douglass, R. P. (2023). Feminist therapy with gender questioning adolescents: Clinical case example. Women & Therapy, 46(1), 58–75. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.und.edu/10.1080/02703149.2023.2189777

Giri, P. (2014). Profile of E. Kitch Childs. In A. Rutherford (Ed.), Psychology’s feminist voices digital archive. https://feministvoices.com/profiles/e-kitch-childs/

Hall, S. (2008). Protest movements in the 1970s: The long 1960s. Journal of contemporary history, 43(4), 655–672.

Herek, G. M. (2012). Facts about homosexuality and mental health. https://lgbpsychology.org/html/facts_mental_health.html

Isaacs, S. (2020). Ellyn Kaschak. Psychology’s feminist voices. https://feministvoices.com/profiles/ellyn-kaschak

Lorenzo, I. (2023, July 6). The stonewall uprising: 50 years of LGBT history. Stonewall. https://www.stonewall.org.uk/about-us/news/stonewall-uprising-50-years-lgbt-history

​​Mulvale, S. (2020). Takin’ it to the streets: E. Kitch Childs. Psychology’s feminist voices digital exhibit. https://feministvoices.com/exhibits/e-kitch-childs

Richardson, W. (2017). Feminist therapy pioneer: E. Kitch Childs. Women & Therapy, 40(3–4), 301–307. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/02703149.2017.1241562