In 1944 Michael Balint joined the Tavistock Clinic.
Balint was a Hungarian refugee who had fled the Nazis in 1935, moving to Manchester, where he was director of the Child Guidance Clinic.
He was a key figure in setting up the Family Discussion Bureau (now Tavistock Relationships). He developed ‘focal therapy’ – a fore-runner of brief therapies.
But he is best known for his work with GPs which led to the creation of Balint Groups.