Deutsch, Helene

Basic Biographical Information

Born: 1884; Died: 1982

Helene Deutsch, a student and patient of Sigmund Freud, was a key figure in the establishment of the first psychoanalytic training institute, and a pioneer author on women and sexuality. Rebellious and often uneasy, Deutsch drew upon personal experiences and insights to develop her theories, which were quite divergent from Freud’s. She fled the Nazis in 1934, and spent the second half of her life in the USA, where she taught and authored a number of influential articles and books.

Helene Rosenbach was born on October 9, 1884, in the town of Przemysl, in Polish Galicia, at the time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After graduation from the local school, she refused to accept the traditional role of the idle life of a debutante, and demanded the opportunity for further education. While still in school, Helene met Herman Lieberman, a prominent socialist leader, with children, and significantly older than Helene. Inspired and...