The first grey glimmerings of psychoanalysis appeared on the Southern California scene in the 1930s. There was a group of psychologists and lay practitioners led by David Brunswick, Ruth Mack Brunswick's brother-in-law, and by the supportive and enthusiastic Emanuel Lippett. The other current, at first a trickle, was the migration of European analysts, both lay and medical. Margrit Munk, an attractive, quiet and respected analyst, came early, followed by Frances Deri and others.

As the Second World War approached, the immigration of analysts spilled over the west bank of the Mississippi. Topeka, San Fransisco, and Los Angeles were the generative analytic centers, with prominent Europeans leading their development. There were Windholz, Bernfeld, Simmel, Fenichel, and others. The river was flowing now. Almost simultaneously, San Fransisco and Los Angeles were accredited, and we pick the story up from there.