What is a Balint Group?
Balint groups grew out of seminars developed by Michael and Enid Balint with general practitioners in London during the 1950s. Michael Balint was a physician and psychoanalyst working at the Tavistock Clinic. Rather than concentrating only on diagnosis or treatment, the groups used real clinical encounters to explore the emotional and relational dimensions of the doctor-patient relationship.
The UK Balint Society was established in 1969, and the American Balint Society followed in 1990, with particularly strong roots in family-medicine education. Balint groups continue today in medicine and have expanded into other helping professions in which the professional relationship itself is an important part of the work.
How is this group different from a traditional Balint group?
This is a Balint-informed rather than an official or certified Balint group. It retains all the foundational elements of the tradition, including reflection on a real clinical / client encounter, attention to the relationship, multiple perspectives, and an emphasis on inquiry rather than advice.
This format adds more explicit attention to embodied experience and to differentiating sensation, emotion, impulse, thought, interpretation, perspective, and relational response. The program is independently developed and is not affiliated with or certified by the American Balint Society, UK Balint Society, or International Balint Federation.
What kind of case or situation should I bring to the group?
You do not need to prepare a formal case. Bring a professional interaction or moment that has stayed with you—something confusing, emotionally charged, unresolved, surprising, physically activating, or simply something you remain curious about. The encounter should be sufficiently de-identified that the person, team, or organization cannot reasonably be identified.
Will people tell me what I should have done?
No. The group is not for advice, diagnosis, treatment recommendations, or evaluating the presenter’s work in any way. The purpose is to create more ways of seeing and understanding the encounter rather than deciding on the correct response.
Does everyone have to present?
No. Each participant has the opportunity to bring one encounter for focused reflection during the six-week series, but presenting is not required. Participants are also actively involved in reflecting on the encounters brought by others.
Is participation confidential?
Yes. Participants are expected to maintain group confidentiality and to remove names and other identifying details from any professional material they bring. Each participant remains responsible for following the professional, ethical, legal, and organizational privacy requirements that apply to their own work.
Are sessions recorded?
No. Sessions are live and are not recorded. Participants should not make their own recordings.
What if my group does not reach the minimum enrollment?
Each Morning and Evening Group requires at least four participants and is capped at six. If your selected group does not reach the minimum, you will be offered an available alternate group or future cohort. If neither works for you, you can receive a full refund
