Being a refugee should not be seen as something that limits you. It should be seen as a testament to what you have endured to get to where you are today.

Our ‘Influential Refugees’ series aims to demonstrate not only the range of people who can find themselves in need of asylum, but also the great things that people of a refugee background can go on to achieve in their lives.

 

Influential Refugees: Sigmund Freud

 

Also known as ‘the father of modern psychology’, Sigmund Freud is famous for being the founder of psychoanalysis; a revolutionary psychotherapy that changed perceptions towards mental health.

 

Born in Vienna, Austria in 1858, and of Jewish decent, Freud was one of the most influential psychologists of his time, introducing the ideas of unconscious desires, psychosexual-development and dream-analysis. After the rise of the Nazi party and their increasingly hostile attitude towards Jews, Freud was forced to flee to England in 1938 to escape persecution. It was here that he spent the remainder of his life in Hampstead, London.

 

Whilst the validity of some of his research and methods are today questioned by modern psychological standards, many methods are still widely used across the world. His research has led to many modern therapeutic techniques, and he is often regarded as one of the most famous and influential psychologists in history.

 

Look out for more posts in our ‘Influential Refugees’ series coming soon!