Anne Alonso, PhD, (left) director of the Center for Psychoanalytic Studies and director of the Endowment for the Advancement of Psychotherapy at MGH and Harvard Medical School, died Aug. 26 following an illness.

An internationally famed psychotherapist, Alonso’s tenure at the MGH began in 1968. She was an influential mentor to scores of students and a renowned teacher whose insights and advice were valued by both students and senior colleagues. Alonso was the author of numerous papers and books on psychotherapy, psychotherapy supervision and group psychotherapy, including The Quiet Profession: Supervisors of Psychotherapy.

She was a past president and distinguished fellow of the American Group Psychotherapy Association and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997 by  Psychiatric Times. In 1995, she founded and chaired the Center for Psychoanalytic Studies at the MGH.

Born in Manchester, N.H. in 1933, she leaves her husband of 49 years, Ramon; two daughters, Marjie and Sarah; and three grandchildren, Max and Jacob Jackson and Lucy Alonso.

“For those of us who knew and loved Anne as her student, colleague or family member, our world will never be the same without her and her wisdom,” says Jerrold F. Rosenbaum, MD, MGH psychiatrist-in-chief.

A memorial service will be held Sept. 29 at Harvard Memorial Church at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be sent to the Endowment for the Advancement of Psychotherapy, Massachusetts General Hospital, 165 Cambridge St., Suite 600, Boston, MA, 02114 or by accessing www.mghgifts.org.