Ann D'Ercole, PhD, ABPP
Clara M. Thompson: The shaping of American Psychoanalysis, the person, theory, practice and legacy
November 8-9, 2025
Kinzie Hotel
20 West Kinzie Street, Chicago
& ZOOM
Ann D'Ercole, PhD, ABPP, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychology at New York University Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. Distinguished Visiting Faculty at the William Alanson White Institute. Author of Clara M. Thompson’s Early Years and Professional Awakening: An American Psychoanalyst (1893-1933) and Clara M. Thompson’s Professional Evolution and Legacy: An American Psychoanalyst (1933-1958), Routledge, 2023. Co-Editor of Uncoupling Convention: Psychoanalytic Approaches to Same-Sex Couples and Families (2004) and other essays.
Recipient of the APA, Div.39, SGI Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Advancement of Sexualities and Gender Identities in Psychoanalysis and the American Board and Academy of Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Psychology (ABAPPP) book award for her contribution to Frie, R. & Sauvayre, P. (eds). Culture, Politics, and Interpersonal Psychoanalysis: Breaking Boundaries, Routledge, 2022 for, Considering the Radical Contributions of Clara Mabel Thompson. She is in private practice in New York City.
Seminar Title: Clara M. Thompson: The shaping of American Psychoanalysis, the person, theory, practice and legacy
Seminar Description: American psychoanalysis was shaped by the work of the pioneering psychoanalyst, Clara Thompson one of the founders of the William Alanson White Institute in NYC. She has been a hidden figure in our field along with her prescient contributions to contemporary psychoanalytic theory and practice. This seminar will take a deep look into the life of Clara Thompson and her then radical positions on culture, the mutually influencing two-person dyad, and feminism. She is a critical link in the relational/social turn in the field, and in studies in gender and sexualities.
Readings:
D’Ercole, A. (2025) Love, “The Kiss” and Repair: Clara Thompson’s contributions to relational theory (in press Contemporary Psychoanalysis)
D’Ercole, A. (2023) Clara M. Thompson’s Early Years and Professional Development: An American psychoanalyst (1893-1933). Routledge Press.
D’Ercole, A. (2023) Clara M. Thompson’s Professional Evolution and Legacy: An American psychoanalyst (1933-1958). Routledge Press.
D’Ercole, A. (2022) Considering the radical contributions of Clara M. Thompson. in Frie, R. & Sauvayre, P. (eds.) (2022). Culture, politics, and race in the making of interpersonal psychoanalysis: Breaking boundaries. Routledge Press.
D’Ercole, A. (2017). On finding Clara Thompson. Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 2017, Vol. 53, No. 1: 63–68.
Thompson , C. (1930) Analytic Observations During the Course of a Manic-Depressive Psychosis. Psychoanalytic Review. XVII, 426-434.
Thompson , C. (1930) 'The Therapeutic Technique of Sándor Ferenczi': A Comment. Psychoanalytic Review, 17(2):240-252
Thompson , C. (1931) “Dutiful Child” Resistance*Psychoanalytic Review, 18:426-433
Thompson , C. (1934) Sandor Ferenczi, 1873-1933. Young Israel, xxvii, 3-4.(1988) Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 24, 182-195.
Thompson , C.(1938) Development of Awareness of Transference in a Markedly Detached Personality. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 19:299-309.
Thompson, C. (1938) Notes on the psychoanalytic significance of choice of analyst. Psychiatry.
Thompson , C. (1940) Identification with the Enemy and Loss of the Sense of Self Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 9:37-50
Thompson , C. (1941) The role of women in this culture. Psychiatry, V, 331-339. Feb 1, 1941; 4, 1; ProQuest pg. 1
Thompson , C. (1942) Culture pressures in the psychology of women. Psychiatry; Aug 1; 5, 3; ProQuest pg. 331
Thompson , C. (1943) “Penis Envy” in women, Psychiatry, 6:2 123-125.
Thompson , C. (1947) Changing Concepts of Homosexuality in Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry, Interpersonal and Biological Processes.10:2, 183-189. DOI: 10.1080/00332747.1947.11022636.
Thompson , C. (1943) The therapeutic technique of Sandor Ferenczi: A comment. International journal of psychoanalysis. xcxiv, 64-66.
Thompson , C. (1944) Ferenczi’s contribution to psychoanalysis. Psychiatry VII, 245-252.
Thompson , C. (1945) Transference as a therapeutic instrument. Psychiatry, VIII, 273-278.
Thompson , C (1949) Cultural conflicts of women in our society. Samiksa, III, 125-134..
Thompson , C. (1950) Psychoanalysis: Evolution and development.
Thompson , C (1950) Some effects of the derogatory attitude toward female sexuality Psychiatry, xiii, 349-354.
Thompson , C. (1952) Countertransference. Samiksa, VI, 205-211.
Thompson , C. (1953) Transference and character analysis. Samiksa, vii, 260-270.
Thompson , C.(1953:1978) Sullivan and Psychoanalysis, Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 14:488-501
Thompson, C. (1954) Introduction to Transference by Benjamin Wolstein, New York: Grune and Stratton.
(1955) Introduction to Final Contributions to the Problems and Methods of Psychoanalysis, Selected Papers of Sandor Ferenczi, Vol. III New York Basic Books, Inc.
Thompson, C. (1956) Sullivan and Fromm, Progress in psychotherapy; (1978). Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 15:195-200.
Thompson, C. (1958) Concepts of the self in interpersonal theory. American journal of psychotherapy, XII, 5-17.
Thompson, C. (1958) A study of the emotional climate of psychoanalytic institutes, Psychiatry, XXI, 45-51.
Thompson, C. (1958) Various methods of psychotherapy and their functions, American Journal of Psychotherapy, XII, 660-670.
Thompson , C. (1959) Dynamics of hostility. American journal of psychoanalysis, XIX, 10-13.
Thompson, C. (1959) An Intro to Minor Maladjustments. American Handbook of Psychiatry.
Thompson, C. (1959) The interpersonal approach to the Clinical Problems of Masochism, in Jules H. Masserman, (ed) Individual and Familial
Dynamics. New York: Grune and Stratton, p. 31-37.
Thompson, C. (1959) A Critical incident in psychotherapy. In Stanley W. Standal and Raymond J. Corsini, (eds) Critical Incidents in Psychotherapy (New York Printice-Hall, pp. 98-99.
Thompson, C. (1956; 1979) Sullivan and Fromm. Contemporary Psychoanalysis 15: 195-200.
Thompson, C. (1956) The role of the analyst’s personality in therapy American journal of psychotherapy, X, 347-359. (1964) Interpersonal Psychoanalysis: Selected Papers of Clara M. Thompson, Green, M. Editor.
Thompson, C. (1959) The unmarried woman. Pastoral psychology, X, 44-45.
Thompson, C. (1961) Femininity. In Albert Ellis and Albert Abarbanel, eds, The encyclopedia of sexual behavior (New York); Hawthorne books.
Thompson, C. (2017) The history of the William Alanson White Institute. Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 53 (1): 7-28.
Thompson, C. (1960 The theoretical framework of the William Alanson White Institute. In Current approaches to psychoanalysis. New York: Grune and Stratton, pp. 13-21.)