A pioneer in child psychoanalysis, Anna Freud (1895–1982) was born on this day in Vienna, Austria, the youngest child of Sigmund Freud. An elementary-school teacher, she became drawn to the study of the human psyche after undergoing analysis with her father.

“Creative minds have always been known to survive any kind of bad training,” she once observed, a line that hints at both resilience and quiet wit.

She joined the Vienna Psychoanalytical Society in 1922. Devoted to a lifetime of study, observation, discussion, and writing, she believed that children developed through the stages outlined by her father. Building on these theories, she focused on the ego, exploring defense mechanisms and ways we manage inner conflict.

“Don’t be foolish and ask the path,” she advised. “When you see others going aimlessly, try yourself. All those standers-by — no one can tell you what is right.”

In celebration of her father’s 80th birthday, she published The Ego and Defense Mechanisms (1936), a pivotal examination of childhood and adolescence. “Children usually do not blame themselves for getting lost,” she wrote, helping adults see young minds with more compassion.

In 1938, the good daughter escaped with her father from Nazi-occupied Vienna to London, caring for him through the final stages of throat cancer. There she became an advocate for war orphans and helped establish what is now the Anna Freud Centre, dedicated to learning more about children with mental health needs.

After the attacks of 9/11, experts returned to her seminal work to guide children through trauma. “Psychoanalysis will grow and take us deeper and deeper into life,” she said. Her legacy continues to remind us that there is quiet strength inside each child, waiting to be seen and believed. In her way, she taught us that when we meet a child with patience and presence, we help their inner light find room to grow.