Discovering the Freud wars: Henri F. Ellenberger and the polarized history of psychotherapy in France (circa 1970).

Abstract

The text examines the reception in France of the work of Henri F. Ellenberger, a psychiatrist and historian and the author of The Discovery of the Unconscious (1970). In this book, Ellenberger offers a non-Freudian history of dynamic psychiatry, highlighting contributions by Janet, Adler, and Jung to develop a more pluralistic view of psychotherapeutic practices. In the 1970s, France remained strongly dominated by psychoanalysis, while other countries increasingly adopted approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy. This Freudian hegemony explains the resistance Ellenberger encountered in having his book translated into French. Despite his connections with prominent psychiatrists, his initial attempts failed. It was ultimately through the magazine Psychologie-founded by Jacques Mousseau and inspired by Psychology Today-that Ellenberger found a platform for his ideas, leading to the French publication of his book in 1974. The text emphasizes that the mixed reception of Ellenberger's work reflects a broader divide between therapeutic models. In the United States, his book fueled a critical reevaluation of psychoanalysis, while in France his contribution was often minimized or reframed to fit within the Freudian tradition. The article links these dynamics to deeper ideological polarization and the influence of institutional networks in defining what counts as legitimate therapeutic knowledge. Ultimately, the study concludes that Ellenberger, as both an intellectual and geographical outsider, represents a pivotal moment for thinking about therapeutic and historiographical pluralism-an approach that France struggled to embrace for decades. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).