Victor White: I had forgotten all about Mrs. Sussman
Kusnacht-Zurich
September 26th 1946
Dear Father White,
Thank you very much for your letter.
I’m sorry I had forgotten all about Mrs. Sussman when I wrote to you last.
But I now have taken the matter up and also discussed it with Dr. Jung.
First I’ve dug out the two certificates Dr. Jung wrote for her.
The first was written when she wanted to get out of Germany and Dr. Jung was rather more positive than he felt because he wanted to give her a chance to settle down somewhere else.
Dr. Jung said I could send them to you to read them, but he would like to have them back of course.
Now the trouble is, that one cannot be 100% certain that there wasn’t another certificate written, although it is very unlikely, but sometimes copies get lost or Dr. Jung writes them by long-hand and has no copy.
Now as to the “Psychotherapeutic Training” there is no such thing as a diploma given in Zurich.
Up to the present time Dr. Jung has considered as his pupils only people who have worked with him personally and to some of those only did he give a letter or certificate stating that he personally considered them qualified to work as analysts.
As a rule it didn’t matter at all with whom they had worked before they came to Zurich as only their personal value and aptitude was considered.
So whatever Mrs. Sussman says about her pupils does not really matter as neither Prof. Jung nor his pupils here will take anything for granted.
As far as I’m aware of Dr. Jung’s feelings in the matter (unfortunately I couldn’t have a long talk about it with him) I should say that his attitude
towards Mrs. Sussman has changed in the last years simply because what he heard from her directly and indirectly made him feel that caution was
indicated.
So, as far as I remember he has not sent a single patient or pupil to her ever since she is in England.
On the other hand I am certain that he does not want to disavow her, simply because he has seen again and again that even pupils whose work is not wholly to their credit can give people what they want and need.
As to the feeling of the people here apart from Dr. Jung it is hard to say as except Frl. Wolff and myself I do not think that many remember her well
enough or had any dealings with her to judge her.
But I’m telling you this quite confidentially, just to give you an idea of the situation.
Officially one could say (and you can broadcast this as coming from Dr. Jung) that Mrs. S. is or can claim to be Dr. Jung’s pupil but not his representative. The training she gives is her training and people trained by her cannot claim to be Dr. Jung’s pupils.
But that is the case with Dr. Jung’s other pupils too, especially the ones abroad.
If there is any point left which is still not clear to you or on which you want further elucidation, please let me know.
Unfortunately I’m far from reposing, as there was much too much work to catch up with and Dr. Jung is starting his practical work next week.
I just shall have to get used to the fact that life is very hard work indeed.
My best wishes to you,
My dear Professor Jung,
Yours sincerely,
[MARIE-JEANNE SCHMID] ~Marie-Jeanne Schmid, Jung-White Letters, Page 43-44
