Edith Eger, Auschwitz survivor and psychologist who treated veterans and abuse victims, dies at 98

Psychologist Edith Eger has died at the age of 98. She said she had to heal herself first to truly help her patients. Born in 1927, Eger was a teenager when she and her family were sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. She survived the camp and later moved to the United States where she became a psychologist.

Eger worked with military veterans and survivors of abuse. In her practice she drew on her own experiences as a Holocaust survivor. She stated that addressing her own trauma was necessary before she could effectively treat others. Her approach emphasized personal responsibility and resilience in the face of suffering.

Eger's patients included those dealing with post-traumatic stress and other psychological effects of violence. She continued this work for decades.

Eger was deported to Auschwitz with her parents and sister. Conditions in the camp included starvation, disease and executions. After the camp was liberated she returned to her hometown in what is now Slovakia before eventually emigrating. In the United States she pursued higher education and earned a doctorate in psychology. She then established a clinical practice focused on trauma recovery.

Eger told interviewers that her effectiveness as a therapist depended on confronting her own unresolved pain from the Holocaust. She incorporated lessons from her survival into sessions with patients facing similar emotional challenges. Veterans and abuse victims formed a significant part of her caseload.

Her books and public appearances brought her methods to a wider audience. Eger encouraged individuals to choose their responses to trauma rather than remain defined by victimhood. She maintained this perspective until late in her career.