Richard Fisch

Dr. Richard (Dick) Fisch Dec. 15, 1926 - Oct. 23, 2011 Dr. Richard (Dick) Fisch, an innovator in the field of psychiatry has died at the age of 84. After a long struggle with Alzheimers, he passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, Oct. 23 in Redwood City, CA. Dr. Fisch was an internationally regarded psychiatrist who pioneered Brief Therapy, a short-term approach to deal with a myriad of problems. He was also the co-founder of the Brief Therapy Center at the Mental Research Institute (MRI) in Palo Alto, CA. Richard Fisch was born December 15, 1926 in Brooklyn, New York. From 1945-46 Dick served as a medic in the US Navy. Upon returning, he graduated from Colby College and spent a year studying at Columbia University School of Anthropology. He then graduated from New York Medical College in 1954. After he completed his residency at the Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital in Baltimore MD, he moved to California in 1958. That same year, he became Assistant Director for the San Mateo County Hospital and held positions in other SF Bay Area hospitals. He became disenchanted with the traditional medical treatment that dominated psychiatry at the time. So he began exploring alternatives. This led him to the pioneering work being done by Virginia Satir and Don Jackson (Founding Director) at MRI. He joined MRI in 1961. In 1965, Dr. Fisch proposed creation of a research project focused specifically on how to make therapy more effective and efficient. With this proposal and creation of the MRI Brief Therapy Center, Dr. Fisch triggered the emergence of Brief Therapy approaches that have radically changed the practice of psychotherapy all over the world. Dr. Fisch is co-author of a number of groundbreaking books on Brief Therapy, which have been translated into many languages and used as textbooks in universities and medical schools. He conducted workshops all over the world, where he trained thousands of professionals. "More interested in finding ways to make therapy more effective than seeking personal notoriety, Richard Fisch was among the most unassuming, dedicated, and influential pioneers of Brief Therapy. Many of his students around the world, describe interactions with him as 'life changing'," said his colleagues at MRI. He also truly loved working with his patients in his private practice. For over 20 years, Dr. Fisch was also staff psychiatrist for Hillcrest Juvenile Hall in San Mateo County. Dr. Fisch was married to Joan (Ackerman) Satt from 1955-1963 and had two children, Amy and David. He was later married to Carol (Wiese) Fisch from 1966-1988, and had two children, Sara and Ben. They lived in Woodside, CA during the 70's and 80's where he was a member of the Woodside Mounted Patrol. He later became an instrument-rated pilot and loved to fly whenever he had a chance. Dr. Fisch will be remembered for his love of, and devotion to his work, his love for and utter delight with his grandson, his dry sense of humor, his love of films (especially Woody Allen films), and his love of dark chocolate. He is survived by his 4 children: David Fisch of North Carolina, Amy Solomon of Los Angeles, Sara Needham of Berkeley, Ben Fisch of Sebastopol; one grandson, Oliver Needham; his lifelong friend, Larry Spector of San Jose; his two former wives Joan Satt of Los Angeles, and Carol Fisch of Sebastopol; and friends and colleagues. A gathering to celebrate Dr. Fisch's life will be announced at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to the ACLU Foundation of Northern California, 39 Drumm Street, San Francisco, CA 94111, or to his alma mater Colby College, by going to their website www.colby.edu