Elizabeth Severn: The 'Evil Genius' of Psychoanalysis

Elizabeth Severn: The `Evil Genius' of Psychoanalysis chronicles the life and work of Elizabeth Severn, both as one of the most controversial analysands in the history of psychoanalysis, and as a psychoanalyst in her own right. Condemning as an evil genius, Freud disapproved of Severn's work and had her influence expelled from the psychoanalytic mainstream. In this book, Arnold William Rachman draws on years of research into Severn to present a much-needed reappraisal of her life and work, as well as her contribution to modern psychoanalysis. Rachman's re-discovery, restoration and analysis of The Elizabeth Severn Papers - including previously unpublished interviews, books, brochures and photographs - suggests that, far from a failure, the analysis of Severn by Sandor Ferenczi constitutes one of the great cases in psychoanalysis, one that was responsible for a new theory and methodology for the study and treatment of trauma disorder, in which Severn played a pioneering role. Elizabeth Severn should be of interest to any psychoanalyst looking to shed fresh light on Severn's progressive views on clinical empathy, self-disclosure, countertransference analysis, intersubjectivity, and the origins of relational analysis.