Anna Freud

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Women in Psychology |

Anna Freud |

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December 10th, 2012 Psy/310 |

Janise Pratt Ph.D.

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Anna Freud

When the study of Psychology was mostly dominated by men, between 1850 and 1950, Anna Freud followed in her father’s Sigmund Freud footsteps and pursued a career in Psychology. She made major contributions still used in practice today.

Anna being the youngest of six children to Sigmund and Martha Freud growing up she was never close to her mother, and could never seem to get along with any of her siblings. She was a bit mischievous and was closer to her father. He once stated, “Anna has become downright beautiful through naughtiness.” (The Anna Freud Centre, 1993). She was considered the brains of the family. She went to school at Cottage Lyceum in Vienna where she finished in 1912. She later became a teacher, and taught at her old School. Her interest in Child Psychology grew after spending being with and observing her students. She decided teaching was not enough and pursued a career in her father’s footsteps of psychoanalysis (The Anna Freud Centre, 1993).

In 1920, Anna attended the International Psychoanalytical Society meeting with her father she met many of his colleagues. At this time she decided she wanted to become a member of the Psychoanalytical Society, but realized she did not have any patients at that time and would have to give a presentation to the society on her analysis of her patient in order to become accepted. She did the next best thing; she analyzed herself and was accepted with open arms after her presentation on Beating Fantasies, and Daydreams. She continued to work side by side with her father. During this time she wrote her first book, Technique of Child Analysis....