Dr. Sigmund Freud

A Biographical Summary of Dr. Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst. Freud is considered one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century and his work has had a profound impact on the fields of psychology, psychiatry, literature, art, and culture.

Born in Freiberg, Moravia (now Příbor, Czech Republic) in 1856, Freud studied medicine at the University of Vienna. He began his career as a neurologist but soon became interested in the study of the unconscious mind. He developed the theory that unconscious thoughts, feelings, and desires play a major role in shaping human behavior.

Freud's theories and techniques, including dream analysis, free association, and the interpretation of transference, revolutionized the understanding of the human mind. His work explored concepts like the id, ego, and superego, defense mechanisms, and psychosexual development. Though controversial in his time, Freud's ideas continue to be studied and debated by psychologists and other scholars today.