Anna Freud
Running head: ANNA FREUD
Anna Freud
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Anna Freud
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Anna Freud
Sigmund Freud is possibly the most renowned individual in regards to psychological
theory in the history of the discipline. Acknowledged as the “father of psychoanalysis” Freud
introduced controversial theories which included the importance of the “unconscious” mind, the
influence of the “id”, “ego” and “superego” on behavior and the significance of dreams,
however; many individuals do not realize that Freud was also the father of 6 children; one of
these children; Anna, would follow in her father’s footsteps and create her own impression on
the field of psychological theories and investigation.
Born on December 3, 1895, Anna Freud was the third daughter of Sigmund and Martha
Freud; ages 38 and 34, respectively. Freud had hoped for another son to join his three boys;
Oliver, Ernst and Jean-Martin, and was rather disappointed when his sixth and final child turned
out to be female. Nevertheless; Freud considered the birth of Anna to be a piece of good fortune
simply due to the fact that after her arrival, his client-base doubled; most likely an unrelated
occurrence. From the beginning, Anna and her mother did not form the same type of bond which
was present with the other children. As the years passed, Anna and her father became
particularly close; he began to notice that she was “different” from his other children in that she
shared his love of investigation into subjects dealing with academics and sciences. Anna showed
an obvious disregard for the more “feminine” aspects of her sisters and preferred to indulge in
more “masculine” tasks and activities.
Anna graduated school when she was 17 years old and 3 years later, became a teacher,
initially educating youngsters in the third-fifth grade levels. During this period Anna complained
to her father of an “illness” which she was experiencing and he began analyzing her in an effort
to discover what the underlying cause might have been. Freud’s analysis of his daughter lasted 4
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years. It has been speculated that Freud based his “oedipal theory” on his findings during his
daughter’s analysis. This is of course impossible to prove since Freud was notorious for not
keeping progress reports or notes relating to his patient’s therapy sessions. During this time with
her father, Anna began to realize that she too shared a great interest in the field of psychology.
Even though a number of her father’s initial followers, such as Carl Jung and Alfred Adler,
eventually abandoned the Freudian “school” to formulate their own theories, Anna continued to
pursue her father’s philosophy and beliefs. While Sigmund Freud placed his focus of
concentration on adults, Anna directed her attentions to the analysis of childhood.
Although Anna Freud never earned a higher degree, her work in psychoanalysis
and child psychology contributed to her eminence in the field of psychology. She
began her children's psychoanalytic practice in 1923 in Vienna, Austria and later
served as chair of the Vienna Psycho-Analytic Society. During her time in
Vienna, she had a profound influence on Erik Erikson, who later went on to
expand the field of psychoanalysis and ego psychology (Cherry, 2010).
Anna Freud has been considered as many things over the years. Her colleagues have
named her as everything from a radical trendsetter to a steadfast traditionalist. Her renowned
efforts regarding the ego and defense mechanisms was without a doubt, a ground-breaking
innovation, yet she was a devoted conformist in challenging the alleged expanding latitude of
psychoanalysis and its use in individuals who presented with conditions which could be
considered to be “borderline”.
In 1936, Freud’s book entitled The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense was published.
In the book she provides an exceptionally comprehensive narrative of the ways in which defense
mechanisms operate, in both adults and adolescents. The theories put forth in the publication
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propelled the advancement and furthered the interest of “ego psychology” in what was
considered to be the “Freudian” circle, i.e. those individuals who were already staunch believers
in the theories proposed by Anna’s father. Freud realized that dealing with children and
adolescents was much different than dealing with adults; the same type of approach employed by
her father to analyze his patients was inappropriate for children. She understood that in order to
assist children, she could not simply become another “friend” or “playmate” yet she could not
attempt to take over the parent’s role in the child’s life either. Additionally, the child was not the
only individual who was implicated in treatment and its outcome; caregivers and/or parents had
to be involved in important decisions which children would not be capable of making on their
own. Freud also realized that due to the fact that children tend to be more open and present their
problems in a more honest, outward fashion, many times there was no need to delve exceedingly
deeply into their psyche. She knew that immediate and present problems were most often the
causes of psychological conditions in youngsters as opposed to adults simply because they had
not been confronted with the problems of adult life
Freud assisted in founding the London-based Hamstead Child Therapy Clinic which was
initially established to assist the youngest victims of the war whose parents had lost the ability to
care for them properly. The clinic was primarily a refuge where children could find the care and
companionship of trained professionals. Freud believed that children required a sense of stability
in order to properly develop and form lasting relationships and this was next to impossible
during the tumultuous period of the Second World War. Freud’s observations of children during
this period of time allowed her to gather vast amounts of information regarding the ways in
which they dealt with stress and she subsequently compiled and published a number of research
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papers which helped to disseminate her findings, i.e. Infants without Families and Reports on the
Hampstead Nurseries.
Anna Freud spent years taking care of her father who had been diagnosed with cancer.
Upon his death in 1939 she continued to uphold the philosophies and theories which her father
had previously put forth yet she continued to further her own personal beliefs regarding the
importance of developing appropriate therapy methods and treatments for children.
Between the years of 1941 and 1946 there was much disagreement in regards to the
theories which had been put forth concerning the contemporary beliefs of Melanie Klein and her
cohorts. Klein’s theories sharply contrasted with the conventional theories of Anna Freud
resulting in what is known as the “Controversial Discussions”. These deliberations were an
attempt to resolve differences and come to an agreement in order to keep the “British PsychoAnalytical Society” from completely splitting into 3 separate branches; those who followed Anna
Freud, those who followed Klein and those who were independent of either “school”.
An examination of the early history of child analysis in the writings of Melanie
Klein and Anna Freud reveals how two different and opposing approaches to
child analysis arose at the same time. The two methods of child analysis are
rooted in a differential emphasis on psychoanalytic theory and practice. The
Kleinian method derives from the application of technique while the Anna
Freudian method is driven by theory (Donaldson, 1998).
Anna Freud died on October 9, 1982 in London. The following statement epitomizes her
strength of character and sense of self in regards to her work; ‘I started out as an elementaryschool teacher. I changed from that to the field of analysis and child analysis. From then on, I
moved constantly back and forth, from the theoretical study of these problems to their practical
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application. I agree that one has to have special luck to do this and that most people do not have
this” (Reuters, 1982). While her father was and still is, criticized for not providing records of his
research and countless therapy sessions, Anna was a pioneer in assuring the homogeny of
clinical records, the use of previous information from past studies to compare and contrast
findings and the implementation of longitudinal research in regards to the developmental
processes of children. The Writings of Anna Freud is an 8-volume compilation of her works
throughout her life. There are numerous centers and foundations created in her name such as the
Anna Freud Center for Children and Families, located in London, and “The Freud Museum… in
Hampstead, [which] was the home of Sigmund Freud and his family when they escaped Nazi
annexation of Austria in 1938. It remained the family home until Anna Freud, the youngest
daughter, died in 1982. The centerpiece of the museum is Freud's study, preserved just as it was
during his lifetime “(Freud Museum, 2010).
Anna Freud
References
Cherry, K. (2010). Anna Freud - Biography of Anna Freud. Psychology - Student Resources Psychology Articles. Retrieved March 12, 2010, from
http://psychology.about.com/od/profilesofmajorthinkers /p/bio_annafreud.htm
Donaldson, G. (1998). Between practice and theory: Melanie Klein, Anna Freud and the
development of child analysis. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, 32(2),
160-176.
Freud Museum. (2010). Freud Museum ~ About Us. Freud Museum, London. Retrieved March
13, 2010, from http://www.freud.org.uk/about/
Reuters. (1982, October 10). Anna Freud, Psychoanalyst, Dies in London at 86. On This Day.
Retrieved March 12, 2010, from http://www.nytimes.com/learning
/general/onthisday/bday/1203.html
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