My Analysis With Freud

by Joseph Wortis

This is an account of Joseph Wortis' five-month analysis with Sigmund Freud, begun in September 1934. As a young and sceptical psychiatrist, Wortis asked many questions of Freud and kept detailed notes, resulting in a fascinating dialogue about psychoanalytic method.

Genres: Psychoanalysis

234 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1954

Reviews

[Owlseyes]

Notes taken from an interview, Wortis gave.

A "trainee" under Freud in the 1930's, Wortis would pay for each 1-hour session the "equivalent" to $20.

About Freud,who was in his 70's, Wortis said: "he was a frail and small" man,...but quite "energetic".

In the sessions Wortis would be asked to "expose thoughts and feelings"; to be "candid"; to discuss dreams;... so that some "material" could "be brought to consciousness".

Some sessions were "good"; yet some led to disappointment, Freud showing "irritation", namely, with Wortis "skepticism".
















Biographical note

In the 1950's Wortis published a book called "Soviet Psychiatry", which involved him learning Russian and have a visit to the then-USSR.

He came later under an investigation trying to determine whether he was a communist; he denied it and affirmed: "I must say that my mother always brought me up to feel that it was extremely impolite to ask people what their political views were."

About the investigation he commented: ..."inquisitions of this medieval character".