NCSPP was formed in 1986 by clinicians seeking advanced training and organizational affiliation, partly in response to non-medical clinicians' inability at the time to obtain training at American Psychoanalytic Association-affiliated institutes. As a local chapter of the Division of Psychoanalysis of the American Psychological Association, NCSPP was linked with psychology profession. Nonetheless, NCSPP was formed in the spirit of inclusiveness, in terms of its membership and the breadth and richness of its theoretical orientation. NCSPP remains open to mental health professionals of all disciplines interested in psychoanalysis.

Since its inception, NCSPP has responded to our community’s important needs. Early on it enjoyed rapid growth in membership, its offerings and programs because of the tremendous need for advanced training in the clinical community outside of the institutes. Initially offering an Annual Lecture and Scientific Meetings, NCSPP soon added courses and workshops and then included the year-long Intensive Study Groups and Introductory Events. For its larger community events, NCSPP has brought such international speakers as Ron Britton, Andre Green, Christopher Bollas, Ruth Stein, Glen Gabbard, David Rosenfeld, Horatio Etchegoyen, Adam Phillips, Joyce MacDougall, and Stefano Bolognini.

NCSPP has also been responsive to community needs in other ways. Among these has been the development of the Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California (PINC), an institute providing full analytic training to mental health professionals of all disciplines. NCSPP was also instrumental in the development of the Access Institute for Psychological Services, a low-fee clinic providing clinical services and training for pre- and post-doctoral trainees in psychoanalytic psychology. NCSPP started a journal, fort da, which is the only psychoanalytic journal in the Bay Area. The Interdisciplinary Education Committee was formed to bring psychoanalysis more directly into communication with the arts and other disciplines. NCSPP has also moved to bring advanced training and organizational affiliation to local communities outside of the San Francisco/East Bay area.

In 2005 NCSPP launched the monthly e-newsletter, Impulse, to serve the interests of the greater Northern California psychoanalytic community. The newsletter reaches nearly 2000 analysts, therapists, interns and students across a wide range of psychoanalytic organizations such as SFCP, PINC, the Lacanian School, and the Jung Institute.

Currently, NCSPP is the largest local chapter in the country, and has over 650 members. There are 19 members of the board, with five committees providing programming and several devoted primarily to outreach. NCSPP continues to seek better ways to serve its members, to enhance the community of psychoanalytic practitioners, and to make psychoanalytic education available to as wide a net as possible.