Dr. Ruth Doorbar, consultant clinical psychologist who specialised in psychotherapy for children and adults. - File

Renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Ruth Doorbar has died. Dr. Doorbar died at her home in Linstead, St. Catherine, last Monday. Dr. Doorbar recently had a hip replacement surgery. She was 83 years old.

Doctor and Pianist

Dr. Doorbar was an accomplished concert pianist having studied at Julliard School of Music in New York. She spent 20 years as a clinical psychologist in New York and was elected to the New York Academy of Science in 1858, based on her research on metapsychiatry. She came to Jamaica in 1973.

For over 20 years, she was a mental health consultant with the Ministry of Health and also in private practice. She also hosted a radio programme.

Dr. Doorbar's published works include: The First 300 Sex Offenders, Sexual Behaviour in Males. Later came another paper and book Sexual Behaviour in Females evolved out of pursuit of work done at the invitation of Alfred Kinsey at the University of Indiana. Later, research on transsexuals was done in association with Johns Hopkins University (the first institution to do the required operations).

Very Likeable

Clinical psychologist, Dr. Charles Carr, who has taken over Dr. Doorbar's practice, describes her as a very helpful and likeable person. "She was very likeable, intelligent, and I enjoyed talking and sharing with her. I used her as a sounding board for my diagnosis and possible future treatment just to make sure I was on the right track," he noted.