ELIZABETH SEVERN Elizabeth Severn: The “Evil Genius” of Psychoanalysis chronicles the life and work of Elizabeth Severn, both as one of the most controversial analysands in the history of psychoanalysis and as a psychoanalyst in her own right. Condemning her as “an evil genius”, Freud disapproved of Severn’s work and had her influence expelled from the psychoanalytic mainstream. In this book, Arnold William Rachman draws on years of research into Severn to present a much-needed reappraisal of her life and work, as well as her contribution to modern psychoanalysis. Rachman’s re-discovery, restoration, and analysis of The Elizabeth Severn Papers – including previously unpublished interviews, papers, books, brochures, and photographs – suggests that, far from a failure, the analysis of Severn by Sándor Ferenczi constitutes one of the great cases in psychoanalysis, one that was respon- sible for a new theory and methodology for the study and treatment of trauma disorder, in which Severn played a pioneering role. Elizabeth Severn should be of interest to any psychoanalyst looking to shed fresh light on Severn’s progressive views on clinical empathy, self-disclosure, counter- transference analysis, intersubjectivity, and the origins of relational analysis. Arnold William Rachman is a licensed psychologist, trained psychoanalyst, and Fellow of the American Group Psychotherapy Association. PSYCHOANALYTIC INQUIRY BOOK SERIES JOSEPH D. LICHTENBERG Series Editor Like its counterpart, Psychoanalytic Inquiry: A Topical Journal for Mental Health Professionals, the Psychoanalytic Inquiry Book Series presents a diversity of subjects within a diversity of approaches to those subjects. Under the editorship of Joseph Lichtenberg, in collaboration with Melvin Bornstein and the editorial board of Psychoanalytic Inquiry, the volumes in this series strike a balance between research, theory, and clinical application. We are honored to have published the works of various innovators in psychoanalysis, including Frank Lachmann, James Fosshage, Robert Stolorow, Donna Orange, Louis Sander, Léon Wurmser, James Grotstein, Joseph Jones, Doris Brothers, Fredric Busch, and Joseph Lichtenberg, among others. The series includes books and monographs on mainline psychoanalytic top- ics, such as sexuality, narcissism, trauma, homosexuality, jealousy, envy, and varied aspects of analytic process and technique. In our efforts to broaden the field of analytic interest, the series has incorporated and embraced innovative discoveries in infant research, Self Psychology, intersubjectivity, motivational systems, affects as process, responses to cancer, borderline states, contextualism, postmodernism, attachment research and theory, medication, and mentalization. As further inves- tigations in psychoanalysis come to fruition, we seek to present them in readable, easily comprehensible writing. After more than 25 years, the core vision of this series remains the investigation, analysis and discussion of developments on the cutting edge of the psychoanalytic field, inspired by a boundless spirit of inquiry. A full list of all the titles available in the Psychoanalytic Inquiry Book Series is available at https://www.routledge.com/ Psychoanalytic-Inquiry-Book-Series/book-series/LEAPIBS. ELIZABETH SEVERN THE “EVIL GENIUS” OF PSYCHOANALYSIS Arnold William Rachman First published 2018 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2018 Arnold William Rachman The right of Arnold William Rachman to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested ISBN: 978-1-138-12286-4 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-138-12287-1 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-64922-1 (ebk) Typeset in Bembo by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India IMAGE 1 P icture of Sándor Ferenczi, 1925, given to Elizabeth Severn with the inscription: “To Dr. Elizabeth Severn as a token of high consideration. Budapest, December 1925. S. Ferenczi” IMAGE 2 Severn’s dedication from her 1920 book, The Psychology of Behavior, which she gave to Sándor Ferenczi in July 1925, written in her own handwriting with the inscription: “With appreciation to one who can still find fragrance in the garlands of former years, S. Ferenczi. From his grateful pupil, Elizabeth Severn, Budapest July 9, 1925” CONTENTS List of figures ix Foreword xi About the author xii Acknowledgments xiii 1 Finding psychoanalysis: a personal journey 1 2 Finding Ferenczi: my struggle to build a bridge from phenomenology and humanistic psychotherapy to relational analysis 15 3 Finding “R.N.” as Elizabeth Severn 24 4 Finding The Elizabeth Severn Papers: an unknown legacy of psychoanalysis 30 5 Eissler finds Severn: discovering the Eissler/Severn interview 35 6 Freud’s condemnation of Severn as an “evil genius” 44 7 Todschweigen (death by silence): removal of Elizabeth Severn’s ideas and work from mainstream psychoanalysis 57 8 Psychoanalysis of difficult cases: Freud’s case of the Wolf Man and Ferenczi’s case of Elizabeth Severn 71 9 Elizabeth Severn as a person 88 viii Contents 10 Severn finds Ferenczi: from psychiatric patient to analysand to analytic partner 109 11 Severn as a clinician 116 12 The development of trauma analysis 136 13 Analyzing the Ferenczi/Severn analysis 147 14 The rule of empathy: Ferenczi and Severn’s contributions 153 15 The clinical in-vitro experiment in intersubjectivity between Ferenczi and Severn 163 16 The Confusion of Tongues between Sándor Ferenczi and Elizabeth Severn 170 17 A two-person psychology for psychoanalysis: Severn and Ferenczi’s analytic partnership 178 18 Non-interpretative measures in the analysis of trauma 198 19 Severn’s trauma of premature termination 218 20 Severn’s recovery, 1933–1959: “To Work, To Love” (Freud) 229 21 Severn and Ferenczi’s recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse: an appraisal 238 22 The development of therapeutic regression: Severn, Ferenczi, and Balint 243 23 Severn’s Orpha function: resilience and recovery from trauma 260 24 Ferenczi’s case of R.N., Elizabeth Severn: a landmark in psychoanalytic history 272 25 Severn as a psychoanalyst 289 References 305 Index 324 LIST OF FIGURES These are the 19 images used in the book, Elizabeth Severn: “The Evil Genius” of Psychoanalysis, taken from The Elizabeth Severn Papers, which are the literary prop- erty of Arnold William Rachman. Image 1 P icture of Sándor Ferenczi, 1925, given to Elizabeth Severn with the inscription: “To Dr. Elizabeth Severn as a token of high consideration. Budapest, December 1925.” S. Ferenczi v Image 2 Severn’s dedication from her 1920 book, The Psychology of Behavior, which she gave to Sándor Ferenczi in July 1925, written in her own handwriting with the inscription: “With appreciation to one who can still find fragrance in the garlands of former years, S. Ferenczi. From his grateful pupil, Elizabeth Severn, Budapest July 9, 1925” vi Image 3 Drawing by Margaret Severn: “Correct attitude of psychoanalyzed daughter toward telepathic mother,” 1927 99 Image 4 Oil painting of Margaret Severn by Olga Kovàcs, 1926 103 Image 5 Collage cover by Arnold William Rachman, “Analysis of Elizabeth Severn by Sándor Ferenczi,” from his book, Sándor Ferenczi: The Psychotherapist of Tenderness and Passion 104 Image 6 Elizabeth Severn’s announcement of the opening of her first office as a clinician in San Antonio, Texas in 1908 120 Image 7 A nnouncement of Dr. Elizabeth Severn’s course on Thought-Force in Washington D.C. in the winter of 1912 122 Image 8 Dr. Elizabeth Severn’s announcement of her office at the Hotel Seymour in New York City and Dr. Elizabeth Severn’s appointment card 123