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Although I grew up in Vienna and as a young adult had lived in the Freudian atmosphere, I never heard the name of Karen Horney. Neither did I, when later living in Prague, Czechoslovakia, where I joined the Freudian Institute, headed by Otto Fenichel, and started a “Trial Analysis.”
Only after emigrating to the United States and working as a staff psychiatrist at the New York State Prison and Reformatory in Bedford Hills did I meet my predecessor, Dr. Eleanor Crissey, who became a close friend; we had so much in common, both having studied medicine in Vienna. Crissey told me that she belonged to a small but elite psychoanalytic group headed by Dr. Karen Horney and suggested that I join the group. As I had no idea who this Dr. Karen Horney was, I decided to look her over and hear what she had to say before taking a decisive step.
With my husband, I went to the New School to hear Horney's lecture; she was giving a series of lectures entitled “At War with Oneself” at that time. The auditorium was packed. We hardly got a set in the balcony, far away. There was expectation in the air. Finally, Dr. Horney appeared, rather a small woman, with fluffy white hair, unassumedly dressed. I could not make out her features, as we were so far away. When she started to talk, I thought “What an atrocious German accent!” and regretted that I had to listen to it for a couple of hours. But as soon as she got involved in her topic, gesticulating with vitality, I was fascinated. My husband whispered, “Does not she remind you of someone?” Yes, of course, there she was, my beloved Aunt Fry!—Dr. Frederick Lubinger, my mother's sister, who was a gynecologist in Vienna, one of the first women physicians. She was very influential in my development and helped me financially to get through the study of medicine. So, an immediate “transference” with Horney was established.
Meanwhile Crissey spoke to her analyst, Dr. Ivimey, who agreed to see me as a potential candidate. Dr. Ivimey was very friendly a