Freud at Work: On the History of Psycholanalytic theory and Practice, with and Analysis of Freud's Patient Record Books

Presenting a new frame of reference, the author argues that Freud's theories are not the result of his genius alone but were developed in exchange with colleagues and students, which is not always apparent at first glance. Replete with examples, the author reconstructs who the theories were addressed to and the discursive context they originally belonged to, thus presenting fresh and surprising readings of Freud's oeuvre. The book also offers a glimpse into Freud's practice. For the first time, Freud's patient record books which he kept for ten years, are being reviewed, offering readers the hard facts about the length and frequency of Freud's analyses.

Ulrike May, PhD, is a practising psychoanalyst in Berlin and a member of the Karl-Abraham-Institute Berlin, the German Psychoanalytic Association, and the International Psychoanalytical Association. She has published two books: Freuds frühe klinische Theorie (1894–1896): Wiederentdeckung und Rekonstruktion and (together with Elke Mühlleitner) Edith Jacobson: Sie selbst und ihrer Objekte. Leben, Werk, Erinnerungen, as well as numerous papers on the history of psychoanalytic theory and practice. Together with Michael Schröter she recently presented a critical edition of Freud's Beyond the Pleasure Principle, including the first version of 1919.