The founding editor of Psychotherapy Networker magazine loved words. That is, he loved the right words. He revered bold adjectives, high-energy verbs, and the occasional head-turning adverb. He was devoted to strong sentences and even stronger paragraphs—especially the all-important ones that open and close a piece of writing. Rich Simon’s love affair with words dovetailed into his reverence for the power of stories, which he believed could shape the field of psychotherapy. In fact, he devoted his entire career—over 45 years—to helping therapists around the world shape their ideas into relatable, engaging stories. As much as he respected clinical theories and frameworks, he believed in foregrounding clinician’s struggles and human vulnerabilities—and structuring what unfolded in therapist’s offices, clinics, and consulting rooms into well-crafted, suspenseful, informative narratives that captured the hearts and minds of readers.
The Rich Simon Writing Award is given to individuals whose writing has consistently engaged us and delighted us while also challenging us to think about therapists, clients, and the field itself in brave, new ways.
The 2026 recipient of the Rich Simon Award for Outstanding Writing is Kory Andreas.
