'There are few situations in life which are more difficult to cope with than an adolescent son or daughter during the attempt to liberate themselves'

Anna Freud was one of the most creative and innovative thinkers in the history of psychoanalysis, whose pioneering work in child analysis and development revolutionized the treatment of the young.

This essential anthology of her writings includes extracts from her classic The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defence, as well as papers on normal and pathological child development, on adolescence, trauma, aggression and analytical technique. Together they offer a definitive overview of her entire career, displaying the richness, variety and originality of her thinking.

'An achievement of the first importance ... underlines the clarity and cogency of Anna Freud's thinking, [and] makes it accessible to a wide audience'

Clifford Yorke, former Medical Director, the Anna Freud Centre, London