Selma Fraiberg, a social worker and psychoanalyst, is best known for her classic volume, The Magic Years, and her pioneering work in infant mental health. In this article, her multi-faceted professional career will be explored. Beginning with her thoughts about social work and psychoanalysis as an undergraduate, I discuss her professional education and the influence of three refugee analysts from Vienna before outlining her diverse contributions to group work with children and adolescents, agency-based psychotherapy with children, and clinical research on the development of blind children. Finally, I discuss the evolution of her theoretical perspectives and the impact of her legacy nearly 40 years after her death.