The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defence

Front Cover
Karnac Books, Dec 30, 1992 - Psychology - 204 pages

When The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense was first published in German in 1936 it was at once recognized as a major contribution to psychoanalytic psychology, and its translation into English quickly followed. More than half a century later it enjoys the status of a classic and a founding text in ego psychology . Written by a pioneer of child analysis, and illustrated by fascinating clinical pictures drawn from childhood and adolescence, it discusses those adaptive measures by which painful and unwanted feeling-states are kept at bay or made more bearable. The author's arguments have a clarity and cogency reminiscent of her father's and the work is remarkable undated. Nothing stands still, but The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense has unmistakably passed the test of time.

About the author (1992)

Anna Freud, daughter of Sigmund Freud, was instrumental in carrying on the work and studies of her famous father. Born in Vienna, Austria, she later immigrated to England and became a British citizen in 1938. An exponent of orthodox Freudian theory, she wrote Psychoanalysis for Teachers and Parents (1935) in order to explain her father's basic theory to the general public. Deeply interested in the problems of children, Freud organized a residential war nursery for homeless youngsters during World War II and for many years directed the Hampstead Child Therapy Clinic in London, where she made her home. Freud made significant contributions in the field of child psychoanalysis. Some of her important work was on the functioning of the ego in normal and disturbed children. Although she lacked medical training, her vast experience and lucid writing earned her the respect of many physicians and medical institutions.

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