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The Lost Legacy of Franz Alexander: A Psychoanalytic Pioneer Revisited

Author(s) : Ilonka Venier Alexander

Reviews and Endorsements

Ilonka Venier Alexander traces Franz Alexander’s thinking from his childhood in Budapest through his years at the Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute in the 1920s, his quarter century as director of the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis, and finally his university-based research in Los Angeles. The author’s background in social work informs her understanding of her grandfather’s application of psychoanalysis to social, political, and cultural experience.
Dr Caroline Zilboorg, Life Member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University; Scholar of the British Psychoanalytic Council; author of A Psychoanalytic Childhood

In this compelling volume, Ilonka Venier Alexander offers fresh insights into the life and groundbreaking work of her grandfather, whose clinical innovations and visionary thinking shaped core psychoanalytic ideas – from the corrective emotional experience to the mind–body connection and psychoanalysis’ relevance in addressing contemporary societal challenges. A must-read for anyone interested in the enduring impact of psychoanalysis on both individual and collective well-being.
Francisco Balbuena Rivera, PhD, psychologist, philosopher, and academic, Department of Clinical and Experimental Psychology, University of Huelva, Spain

Ilonka Venier Alexander provides a fascinating read about the heritage of her grandfather. The flexible attitude to therapeutic sessions promoted by Franz Alexander, which was the source of so much tension in his own time, is at the centre of psychoanalytic practice today. The same up-to-date clinical relevance also applies to his many insights regarding psychosomatic regulation. This midtwentieth-century healer and teacher has much to say for the clinicians of today.
Csaba Pléh, psychologist, Central European University, Budapest; Member, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Academia Europaea

Ilonka Venier Alexander paints an outstanding portrait of the development of psychoanalytically based therapy under the direction and influence of Franz Alexander. His strong focus on the importance of research, patient-centred care, therapeutic alliance, mind–body connection, and multidisciplinary teams has had a lasting impact on modern psychiatry and the wider field of medicine. The influence of history, especially the events surrounding World War II, makes this an even more fulsome and exciting read.
Dr Irfan A. Mian, MD, FRCPC, The Hospital for Sick Children, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto