British Psychoanalytical Society


The British Psychoanalytical Society was founded by the British neurologist Ernest Jones as the London Psychoanalytical Society on 30 October 1913.

Establishment and name

Ernest Jones established the society in 1913, shortly after he returned to London from Canada. The society had 9 founding members including William Mackenzie, Maurice Nicoll and David Eder. Almost immediately, the society was caught up in the international controversy between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud. Many of the society's membership were followers of Jung's theories, although Jones himself enjoyed a close relationship with Freud and wished for the society to be unambiguously Freudian.
The outbreak of World War One in 1914 meant that the nascent society, which depended on correspondence with psychoanalysts in Vienna, then part of Austria-Hungary, had to be suspended. There were a few informal meetings during the war, but these became less and less frequent as the war went on.
In 1919, Ernest Jones refounded the society as the British Psychoanalytical Society. He took the opportunity to define the society as Freudian in nature, removing most of the Jungian members. With the help of John Rickman, the society established a clinic and a training arm, known as the Institute of Psychoanalysis.

Interwar years

In the 1920s, Ernest Jones and the society grew increasingly under the influence of Melanie Klein. Jones was inspired by her writings to develop several psychoanalytical concepts. In 1925, Klein delivered a series of talks at the society, and Jones invited her to move to London, which she did shortly after. Klein's work was well received in London, but it attracted increasing controversy on the continent, where most psychoanalysts were based.
The rise of the Nazi Party in Germany and later in Austria, led to increasing numbers of German and Austrian Psychoanalysts fleeing to London, where they joined the burgeoning society. By 1937, 13 out of 71 members were refugees from Europe. Ernest Jones personally intervened to bring Sigmund Freud and his daughter, Anna Freud, to London. In 1938, Sigmund Freud wrote to Jones:
"The events of recent years have made London the principal site and center of the psychoanalytical movement. May the society carry out the functions thus falling to it in the most brilliant manner."
By the start of the second world war, 34 out of 90 members were emigres from the continent. Among them were:
AnalystPrevious membershipFirst year of BPAS membershipYear of leaving
Anna FreudVienna Psychoanalytical Society1938Remained a member until death.
Dorothy BurlinghamVienna Psychoanalytical Society1938Remained a member until death.
Erwin StengelVienna Psychoanalytical Society1938Remained a member until death.
:de:Eduard Hitschmann|Eduard HitschmannVienna Psychoanalytical Society19381940 - For Harvard Medical School
Otto IsakowerVienna Psychoanalytical Society19381940 - Emigrated to New York City
Grete L. BibringVienna Psychoanalytical Society19381941 - For Tufts University
Ernst KrisVienna Psychoanalytical Society19381940 - Emigrated to New York City
Kate FriedlanderBerlin Psychoanalytic Institute1933Remained a member until death.
Paula HeimannBerlin Psychoanalytic Institute1938Remained a member until death.
Michael BalintHungarian Psychoanalytic Society1945 Remained a member until death.
Melitta SchmidebergBerlin Psychoanalytic Institute19331944 - Resigned due to outcome of the Controversial discussions.
Eva RosenfeldVienna Psychoanalytical Society1936Remained a member until death.

However, the assimilation of so many prominent Psychoanalysts from continental Europe created tensions. The huge difference in the approaches of Anna Freud and Melanie Klein led to the development of several factions. Increasingly, presentations of papers at the society became thinly veiled attacks on opposing factions theories. For example, in March 1937 Melitta Schmideberg presented her paper: "After the Analysis – Some Phantasies of Patients", which viciously attacked almost all of Klein's ideas, though it did not mention her by name.

The 'controversial discussions'

By 1942, relations between the factions within the society had become so heated that a committee had to be convened to facilitate monthly discussions on the scientific nature of the society. The committee was chaired by three members of the society, each representing one of the major factions:
After heated debate, the committee resolved to a "gentleman's agreement" – which ensured that each faction would have equal representation within all committees within the society. It was also agreed that training of future psychoanalysts at the institute would be organised into two pathways: one Kleinian, and one Freudian.

After World War Two

With the resolution of the controversial discussions, the society became dominated by independent psychoanalysts such as Donald Winnicott, Michael Balint or Wilfred Bion.

Prominent members of the society and institute

Through its related bodies, the Institute of Psychoanalysis and the London Clinic of Psychoanalysis, it is involved in the teaching, development, and practice of psychoanalysis at its headquarters at Byron House, west London. It is a constituent organization of the International Psychoanalytical Association and a member institution of the British Psychoanalytic Council.