Howard Geld (1953–1995), universally known as “Howie the Harp,” was a pioneering activist and a foundational figure in the psychiatric consumer/survivor/ex-patient (c/s/x) movement. He is widely credited with helping to establish the modern peer support workforce, advocating that those with lived experience of the psychiatric system are uniquely qualified to help others.
(Photo Credit: Community Access Howie the Harp Peer Advocacy Center)
Catalyst for Activism
A native of New York, Geld spent the majority of his teenage years confined to institutions for the “emotionally disturbed”. During his time as a patient, a night attendant taught him how to play the harmonica—a skill he mastered and which eventually earned him the lifelong moniker “Howie the Harp”. His time in the system left him feeling that institutional psychiatry reduced individuals to mere diagnoses. He believed that while traditional medical treatments might address some symptoms, they fundamentally failed to resolve an individual’s need for community, a sense of purpose, and meaningful work.
Key Contributions and Leadership
Geld was one of the earliest organizers to formalize the fight for psychiatric patients’ rights, leading the way for what would become a global movement:
- The Insane Liberation Front: In 1969, at just 16 years old, Geld helped found the Insane Liberation Front in Portland, Oregon. This group is often cited by historians as the first organized, ex-patient-led group of the psychiatric survivor movement in North America.
- National Organizing: Geld subsequently returned to New York and helped establish the Mental Patients Liberation Project in 1971. He was a tireless organizer who traveled the country, directly participating in the formation of numerous local advocacy and self-help groups.
- Creating the Peer Workforce: Geld championed the radical idea that people who had survived the mental health system should be the ones operating service centers. He successfully demonstrated how to fund and operate peer-run alternatives to traditional, medical-model psychiatric care.
Stance and Legacy
Geld envisioned a mental health landscape driven by mutual support, where recovery was rooted in human connection rather than coercion. Unlike some of his contemporaries who focused exclusively on anti-psychiatry, Geld was deeply invested in building tangible, long-term employment pathways for survivors.
Shortly before his sudden death in 1995, he founded a peer advocacy training program in New York City. Today, the Howie the Harp Advocacy Center continues his legacy, operating as a gold-standard training program that prepares individuals with lived mental health experiences for professional careers in outreach, counseling, and peer case management.
Sources: City Limits, National Calendar Day, George Washington University, Wikipedia, and Wikibooks
Videos featuring Howie the Harp
Who Was Howie? …And How Did He Get That Name? 3:44 min. A very short clip of his playing the harmonica but then includes people talking about him. https://youtu.be/6wUGFW0myoM?si=e0Iibs5igomDkRDS
Howie the Harp (Howard Geld) 8:13 min. A video that includes Howie both speaking and playing the harmonica. https://youtu.be/dm5Uo6czoAw?si=-ADrrMF9HitoeceB
RxChange . Psychiatric Survivors Speak Out
https://youtu.be/cKDuKFuDDq8?si=SDY9WRhRWInT0lHY
See also – Madness Network News: https://madnessnetworknews.com/videos/