By Kendra Cherry
Students of psychology (click here) spend a fair amount of time learning about Sigmund Freud's theories. Even people who are relatively unfamiliar with psychology have some awareness of psychoanalysis, the school of thought created by Sigmund Freud.
While you may have some passing knowledge of key concepts in psychoanalysis like the unconscious, fixations, defense mechanisms, and dream symbolism, you might wonder exactly how these ideas fit in together and what influence they really have on contemporary psychologists....
Freud is the father of modern thought. Without his research and practices we would not have modern psychiatry. Much has been added and changed, but, the truth is there that on the shoulders of genius we build our insight.
Born in Vienna, Austria in 1858, (click here) and of Jewish decent, Freud was one of the most influential psychologists of his time, introducing the ideas of unconscious desires, psychosexual-development and dream-analysis. After the rise of the Nazi party and their increasingly hostile attitude towards Jews, Freud was forced to flee to England in 1938 to escape persecution. It was here that he spent the remainder of his life in Hampstead, London.
Whilst the validity of some of his research and methods are today questioned by modern psychological standards, many methods are still widely used across the world. His research has led to many modern therapeutic techniques, and he is often regarded as one of the most famous and influential psychologists in history....
