Sigmund Freud (
German pronunciation: [ˈziːkmʊnt ˈfʁɔʏt]),
Sigismund Schlomo Freud (May 6, 1856 – September 23, 1939), was an
Austrian neurologist who founded the
psychoanalytic school of
psychology.
[1] Freud is best known for his theories of the
unconscious mind and the
defense mechanism of
repression and for creating the clinical practice of
psychoanalysis for treating
psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst. Freud is also renowned for his redefinition of
sexual desire as the primary motivational energy of human life, as well as his therapeutic techniques, including the use of
free association, his theory of
transference in the therapeutic relationship, and the interpretation of
dreams as sources of insight into unconscious desires. He was also an early neurological researcher into
cerebral palsy.
