Clara Thompson

Clara Mabel Thompson (October 3, 1893 in Providence, Rhode Island – December 20, 1958) studied medicine at Johns Hopkins University and in her last year she was introduced to psychoanalysis. In the future years she developed as a psychoanalyst working with people like William Alanson White, Adolf Meyer, Harry Stack Sullivan, Joseph Cheesman Thompson, and Sándor Ferenczi. In the early 1940s Thompson founded the William Alanson White Psychiatric Foundation in New York together with Erich Fromm, Harry Stack Sullivan, Frieda Fromm-Reichmann, David Rioch and Janet Rioch (see www.wawhite.org). She worked there until her death on December 20, 1958

Clara Thompson’s main contribution to the field of psychoanalysis consists of an extensive overview of the field. She wrote books and papers about the origin and development of psychoanalysis, because her students were confused by the varied approaches of different psychoanalytic schools: in her own words because"if one stopped emphasizing differences and tried to note the general stream of development one would find that this infant science (...) has a forward moving direction to which all of the different schools have contributed". Thompson had an extensive knowledge of the field of psychoanalysis regarding both developments and the different positions and schools. In describing the different schools Thompson took a position in the middle of the psychoanalytic spectrum; she always stressed what different views could add to the field and always spoke with great respect about representatives of the different schools.

Thompson divided Psychoanalysis’ development into four periods:

(1) 1885–1900: In this period the majority of the basic ideas of psychoanalysis were born out of Freud’s mind and remain at the center of some schools up till the present day.

(2) 1900–1910/1920: Stressed the importance of the biological sexual development of the child.

(3) 1910–1925: The focus extended itself to the entire personality.

(4) 1925–present: The view on psychoanalysis expanded from internal forces only (the classic psychoanalysis) to the influences of culture and other persons on the patient and its psychoanalysis. This is also the view that Thompson herself embraced: the influence of culture and interpersonal relationship can never be discarded in psychoanalysis.

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