“Five years ago, the world of mental health lost a visionary,” said Eric Kissinger, program coordinator at SSM Health Treffert Center.
Kissinger refers to Dr. Darold Treffert, an internationally respected psychiatrist and researcher. He passed away on December 14, 2020. According to Kissinger, “His life’s work transformed how we understand autism, savant syndrome, and the extraordinary potential within the human mind.
“Dr. Treffert’s legacy is not only preserved in the pages of his research or the walls of the SSM Health Treffert Center; it lives on in the lives he touched. His approach was rooted in compassion, curiosity, and a belief that every person holds unique gifts worth celebrating.”
The loving map maker: A daughter's tribute
Among the many lives he touched was that of his daughter, Joni Stine. Her personal reflection, originally published in 2021, offers a “glimpse into the heart of the man behind the mission.”
Stine remembers her dad:
While I was brave enough to venture out of town after obtaining my driver’s license, I was anxious about traveling to larger cities without some guidance. This was long before the days of GPS navigation systems in cars – an earlier time when paper maps could still be found in abundance at local gas stations.
And even those maps seemed somewhat confusing to me. So, when I needed to make my way to a certain spot in Chicago or beyond, I would ask my father for help. He would reassuringly take out a piece of cream-colored stationery – I can still see it, with the brown lettering at the top – Darold A. Treffert, MD.
And with his left hand he would carefully draw out a map, explaining as he went. When he was done, we would look at it together and he would make sure I could read his writing. I would go over the map with my hand and explain back to him what I understood the route to be.
Armed with that little map in the passenger seat of my car, I was quite certain I would find my way. My Dad, after all, knew everything.
He didn’t ride with me; I didn’t need to check in once I arrived – he also felt confident I would find my way. Still, he was happy to hear that all went as planned.
I’m quite sure I asked for these maps multiple times in my younger years. And when I did, the process was always the same. He never asked, “What did you do with the other maps I drew for you?” He patiently drew another one, a little updated with detours and new landmarks – he understood that the landscape changed over time.
When my father passed away, the outpouring on social media was heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once. Families shared how they were missing the “captain of their ship,” and how he had helped them navigate an often confusing and frustrating journey – seeking an accurate diagnosis, finding quality services, and longing for others to see the potential in their children.
These families lived in the United States, India, Australia – places too numerous to mention. And although my father couldn’t physically be with them on their respective journeys, he gave them the guidance they needed. And if they needed it again, somewhere down the road, there he was – ever reassuring, happily joining in the celebrations great and small, and always understanding about new forks in the road.
My father’s legacy lives on at SSM Health Treffert Center. He wanted it to be precisely what it is: a place of happiness and hope. It lives on at SSM Health Treffert Studios and at all locations striving to follow the Treffert Approach. The caring professionals who had the privilege of working alongside this remarkable man or learning from the wisdom in his stories are still guiding, still encouraging – still drawing those maps with the utmost of care.
In closing
Dr. Treffert believed that inside every person lies a spark of extraordinary potential. His life’s work reminds us that mental health care is not only about treatment; it is about discovery, dignity, and celebrating strengths.
Five years later, his maps still guide us, reminding us to stay curious, see the good first, and never stop asking what’s possible.
If you would like to share your own memory or reflection, please write to us at treffertcenter@ssmhealth.com.
