Michael Balint's (1896-1970) career evolultion from general practitioner (1918) to psychoanalyst (1926) and subsequently to general practitioner educator (1950) began at his home in Budapest and then moved from London to sites in the United States. His frequent visits to America, together with his wife Enid, were an influential force in promoting and training US-based Balint group leaders. Michael and Enid Balint's influence, together with the support of US physicians, South African physicians who became US citizens, and behavioral scientists, laid the foundation for the formation of an American Balint Society in 1990. The Society's educational and research efforts occurred primarily in family practice residencies and have grown over the past 10 years. The Society, is presently working to standardize credentialing of Balint group leaders to assure continued quality growth in the American Balint movement.