The Introduction and Development of Freud's Work in the United States

The introduction of the work of Sigmund Freud and the development of psychoanalysis in the United States may be viewed in terms of the experiences of American students who had the first direct contacts with Freud and the movement which he led. Early training in psychoanalysis was not systematic. Reading and discusion of case materials, the study of Freud's written works, and especially the discovery of Freudian mechanisms in personal experiences served to convince students of the value of psychoanalysis. Lectures by psychoanalysts to American medical and lay audiences provoked antagonisms but at the same time stimulated discussion and interest, and spite of great resistance to the new ideas, the subject gained an increasing number of adherents. The translation of Freud's works into English was an added impetus. Contacts with nonmedical groups were of equal importance to those with medical groups in popularizing and establishing Freud in this country.