Anna Freud's contributions to our knowledge of child development. An overview

Abstract

Anna Freud's contribution to our understanding of child development, normal and abnormal, is so substantial, extensive, diverse, and rich in its implications that its summary is beyond the scope of a single presentation. Accordingly this paper concentrates on some contributions that have especially influenced the author, on later, comparatively neglected writings, and on works that looked at what had gone before as well as what lay ahead. But, it is argued, Anna Freud's contributions cannot be assessed simply in terms of her writings. The creation of the Hampstead Child Therapy Course and Clinic, along with its leadership and the stimulation it gave to others both there and world wide, is regarded as her greatest achievement.