British Psychoanalysis: Controversial Discussions

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In this episode, I will talk about the Controversial Discussions that took place within the British Psychoanalytical Society in London in the 1940’s.

My name is Simone, I’m a psychoanalyst, and I’ll be hosting this episode.

The Controversial Discussions (1942–1944)

It represented one of the most intense periods in the history of psychoanalysis. Taking place within the British Psychoanalytical Society (BPAS) during the height of World War II. The disagreement was between the continental traditionalists, led by Anna Freud, against the innovators of the British “Object Relations” school, led by Melanie Klein.

The Context: A Society Under Siege

Before 1938, the British Psychoanalytical Society was a fairly calm place where Melanie Klein could develop her theories. However, when the Nazi took over Austria, Sigmund Freud together with his family, and his daughter, Anna Freud, was forced to leave Vienna and move to London.
After Sigmund Freud died in 1939, the British Psychoanalytical Society became the main centre of psychoanalysis. But it was a house divided. The analysts who came from Vienna and followed Anna Freud believed they were protecting Freud’s original ideas. They saw Melanie Klein’s theories as too extreme and as a break from what Freud himself had taught.

The Protagonists and Their Camps

The discussions were organised into three distinct groups:

The Freudians led by Anna Freud
The Kleinians led by Melanie Klein
The Middle Group led by Sylvia Payne

The Theoretical Battleground

The controversial discussions were not just personal arguments; they were serious debates about how the human mind works and develops. Some of the debates were about:

The Early Superego

• Classical View: The superego forms around age 5 or 6 as a result of resolving the Oedipus complex, as children internalise parental and societal standards.
• Kleinian View: The superego begins forming in the first year of life developing from the child’s primitive internalisations (introjections) of the good and bad aspects of the mother’s breast, driven by innate aggression.

Technique and Child Analysis

Anna Freud believed that children, unlike adults, could not be fully analysed using traditional adult methods because their egos were still developing and their superegos remained dependent on their parents. For Anna Freud, children are still forming psychologically.
Melanie Klein, however, used “Play Therapy,” treating a child’s play as the equivalent of an adult’s free association, interpreting deep-seated anxieties directly, since Klein believed children are fully analysable and play, for her, is the same as free association, because, for Klein, children have a full inner world very early.

Example
A child afraid at night:

Klein: looks at inner fantasy.
Anna Freud: checks bedtime routines, family stress, and security.

Analyst’s Role
Klein: Neutral interpreter.
Anna Freud: Supportive guide and educator.

Melanie Klein and Melitta Schmideberg

There were also deep personal tensions behind the theoretical debates. Melanie Klein had a very difficult relationship with her daughter, Melitta Schmideberg. At one point, Melitta was in analysis with Edward Glover.
Over time, Melitta strongly turned against her mother’s ideas. Together with Glover, she became one of Melanie Klein’s harshest critics and eventually joined the group that supported Anna Freud.

READ MORE: Who was Melitta Schmideberg?

The Resolution: The “Ladies’ Agreement”

By 1944, the Society was close to break apart. Had they separated, the psychoanalytic movement might have fractured beyond repair. Instead of separating, the members reached a practical compromise. This was called the “Gentleman’s Agreement”, often renamed as the “Ladies’ Agreement” because it involved key women leaders such as Anna Freud, and Melanie Klein.
The Society decided to stay together but formalised their differences through a tripartite training system:
Course A: For those wishing to follow the Kleinian or Independent path.
Course B: Specifically for those following Anna Freud’s classical approach.
The Independents: Analysts who refused to align with either camp, eventually becoming the “Middle Group.”

Legacy: A Pluralistic Future

The Controversial Discussions were painful and often full of conflict, but they helped psychoanalysis stay alive and open to change, rather than frozen in rigid rules.

Today, the British Psychoanalytical Society remains unique for its “pluralism.” The concepts of Object Relations (how our early relationships shape how we relate to others later in life), the Depressive Position, and Projective Identification – all debated during those times – remain foundational to modern psychotherapy and the understanding of the human condition.