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Personal Life
Born Melanie Reizes in Vienna, Austria, onMarch 30, 1882, Klein’s initial ambition was to attend medical school. Life intervened, however, when she married Arthur Klein at age 21 and had two children, Melitta (1904) and Hans (1907). The family traveled frequently for her husband’s job before settling in Budapest in 1910. She had her third child, Erich, in 1914. Her unhappy marriage to Arthur Klein dissolved in 1925.
She died on September 22, 1960.
10 Women Who Helped Change Psychology
Career
Klein studied with and received treatment in Budapest from psychoanalyst Sandor Ferenczi, who encouraged her to psychoanalyze her own children. Out of Klein’s work, the technique known asplay therapyemerged and is still used extensively today in psychotherapy.
She metSigmund Freudfor the first time at the 1918 International Psychoanalytic Congress in Budapest, which inspired her to write her first psychoanalytic paper, “The Development of a Child.” The experience reinforced her interest in psychoanalysis. In 1921, she moved to Berlin and began working with noted psychoanalyst Karl Abraham.
Klein’s play technique ran counter toAnna Freud’sbelief that young children could not be psychoanalyzed.The dispute led to considerable controversy within psychoanalysis, leading many within the psychoanalytic community to take sides in the debate. Freud openly criticized Klein’s theories and lack of a formal academic degree.
Melanie KleinOne of the many interesting and surprising experiences of the beginner in child analysis is to find in even very young children a capacity for insight which is often far greater than that of adults.
Melanie Klein
One of the many interesting and surprising experiences of the beginner in child analysis is to find in even very young children a capacity for insight which is often far greater than that of adults.
Contributions to Psychology
Melanie Klein had a significant impact ondevelopmental psychology, which focuses on human growth throughout life. Childhood is a time of tremendous change, of course, but people also continue to grow and develop during the early, middle, and senior years.
Klein’s play therapy technique is still widely used today. Her emphasis on the role of the mother-child relationship and other interpersonal connections still echoes in contemporary psychology.
Publications
Klein penned many works, among them:
1 SourceVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The Melanie Klein Trust.The beginnings of child analysis.Additional ReadingAmos A.Melanie Klein. British Psychoanalytical Society. Published 2015.Klein M, Klein M.The Psycho-Analysis of Children. Free Press ed. Free Press; 1984.Likierman M.Melanie Klein (1882-1960).The Encyclopedia of Jewish Women.The Melanie Klein Trust.Klein’s life: A timeline.
1 Source
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The Melanie Klein Trust.The beginnings of child analysis.Additional ReadingAmos A.Melanie Klein. British Psychoanalytical Society. Published 2015.Klein M, Klein M.The Psycho-Analysis of Children. Free Press ed. Free Press; 1984.Likierman M.Melanie Klein (1882-1960).The Encyclopedia of Jewish Women.The Melanie Klein Trust.Klein’s life: A timeline.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
The Melanie Klein Trust.The beginnings of child analysis.
Amos A.Melanie Klein. British Psychoanalytical Society. Published 2015.Klein M, Klein M.The Psycho-Analysis of Children. Free Press ed. Free Press; 1984.Likierman M.Melanie Klein (1882-1960).The Encyclopedia of Jewish Women.The Melanie Klein Trust.Klein’s life: A timeline.
Amos A.Melanie Klein. British Psychoanalytical Society. Published 2015.
Klein M, Klein M.The Psycho-Analysis of Children. Free Press ed. Free Press; 1984.
Likierman M.Melanie Klein (1882-1960).The Encyclopedia of Jewish Women.
The Melanie Klein Trust.Klein’s life: A timeline.
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