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PSYCHOANALYSIS in recent years has undergone a major development away from Freud's libido theory toward ego psychology, a more flexible technique, and a psychosocial or interpersonal approach. Clara Mabel Thompson, a descendant of hardy New England whalers, gave great impetus to this development in America. More than anyone else in the field of psychoanalysis, she stretched the parameters of the discipline encompassing diverse points of view while constantly reaching toward new frontiers. Her book, Psychoanalysis: Its Evolution and Development, was the first effort made by a psychoanalyst to integrate the various theories of Freud, Ferenczi, Adler, Jung, Reich, Horney, Sullivan, Fromm, and others. Unlike many other classic psychoanalysts, she did not restrict her practice to "suitable" neurotic patients. She recognized the potentialities of those whose problems often involved overt conflict with the conventional restraints of our society—the homosexual, the single woman, and the schizophrenic. Consequently she attempted the treatment of many who were rejected as hopeless by other analysts.
Although not an innovator herself, she had the astute clinician's gift for recognizing in the innovations of others what was relevant and useful for the welfare of her patients. This clinical orientation gives a refreshing breadth and clarity to her written work. She believed