Balint Leadership Training Intensive
Training leaders in relationship centered care.™
Join us in Spokane, WA
April 22 - 25, 2026
Sponsored by:
Early Registration Deadline:
December 31, 2025
Registration Closes: March 6, 2026
Course Overview
The four-day Intensive course is designed to teach Balint group leadership technique primarily through experiential groups, supplemented by topic-focused small discussion groups and faculty panel discussions. Attendees will have ample time to present cases, practice leading a Balint group, and engage informally with other participants. Faculty-guided debriefings provide opportunities to receive feedback on participants’ practice sessions in a safe and supportive setting. Participants emerge from the course with a deeper understanding of Balint group leadership techniques and responsibilities and improved awareness of the method’s limitations and risks. Each offering has unique aspects because of the mix of faculty and the specific cases offered in the Balint groups themselves.Tentative Schedule
Registration Fees
Space is limited and previous Leadership Intensive courses have filled well before the registration deadline. Registration fee includes syllabus, refreshment breaks, three breakfasts, one dinner and one lunch.
Single Registration:
$900 by December 31, 2025; $975 regular rate
ABS Member Registration:
$800 by December 31, 2025; $875 regular rate
Residents, students, fellows receive a 20% discount:
$640 by December 31, 2025; $700 regular rate
ABS Member Residents, students & fellows:
$560 by December 31, 2025; $620 regular rate
Those registering at the non-member rate will have an option to apply for a one-year complimentary membership to the ABS following the conference. Current members of other countries' Balint societies also qualify for a registration discount. They should contact the Course directors, Janet Walker and David Schneider by email prior to registering. If you have any issues with the registration process, contact Shantel Beckers, Executive Administrator.
Financial Scholarships Available
The American Balint Society (ABS) seeks to increase inclusivity in its educational activities and among its membership. To support this goal, ABS has a financial scholarship program available to applicants of underrepresented groups (e.g. ethnic, socioeconomic, professional background, etc.) for whom the regular course tuition would present a hardship or barrier. The ABS Financial Scholarship program provides full tuition support for up to two individuals who have been accepted into an ABS Leadership Training Intensive course. You must complete the registration process prior to submitting one of the financial scholarship application.
Please note that the deadline for financial scholarship applications is February 20, 2026.
ABS Intensive Financial Scholarship Application
Cancellation Policy
Registrants wishing to cancel their registration must do so in writing by the cancellation deadline of March 6, 2026 For cancellations received by the cancellation date, $100 of the registration fee will be withheld for administrative fees and the refund will occur within 30 days of acknowledgment of cancellation. For cancellations received after the deadline, no refunds will be available.
Welcome to Spokane!
The conference will be held at the Ruby River Hotel where hometown hospitality and peaceful river views greet every guest. Located on the Spokane River with easy access to the Centennial Trail and Riverfront Park, perfect for a leisurely walk or bike ride.
Residing at the conference center is strongly recommended, even for local attendees, so you may benefit from the retreat-like nature of the course. The ABS has negotiated an exceptionally low rate of $125 per night plus taxes. Amenities include a fitness center, swimming pool, free WiFi, and use of free bicycles.
In reserving your room, you're getting the best possible rate and helping us fulfill our contractual obligation with the hotel. Rooms booked through other methods will not be protected by our cancellation policy with the hotel.
The conference rate of $125/night plus tax is available April 21 - 26, 2025 and can be made online or by calling reservations at
Room Reservation Deadline: March 22, 2026
Explore the City
Spokane provides a wonderful mix of culture, history, and outdoor pursuits. It's home to the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, which explores the region's history through exhibits on art, culture, and Native American heritage. The vast Riverfront Park, site of the 1974 World's Fair, features a sculpture walk, an historic carousel, and a cable car offering views over tumbling Spokane Falls, the second largest urban waterfall in the US.
More than half the buildings in downtown Spokane are on the Historic Register, including the Art Deco Fox Theater and the Kirtland Cutter designed Davenport Hotel.
Conference Director
Janet M. Walker, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor
Elson S. Floyd School of Medicine
Washington State University
Spokane, WA
Conference Co-director
Dave Schneider, MD
Clinical Professor of Family & Community Medicine, UCSF
Faculty Physician, Sutter Santa Rosa FM Residency
Santa Rosa, CA
Additional Faculty
Vidush Athyal, MD
Professor of Family Medicine Kaiser Permanente Family Medicine Residency
San Diego, CA
Jen Gafford, PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice
St. Louis, MO
Kathy Knowlton, PhD
Clinical Instructor, FM Residency
U of Washington
Seattle, WA
Robbie Sherman, MD
Retired Family Physician
Seattle, WA
All faculty members are credentialed as Balint Group Leaders by the American Balint Society. Faculty present will depend on number of small groups.
In accordance with ACCME requirements on disclosure, information about relationships of presenters with commercial interests (if any) will be included in materials distributed at the time of the conference.
Requirements
Participants should be clinically active and willing to present one of their cases.
Because group cohesiveness affects participants’ experience of the course, registrants are required to commit to attending all sessions and to attending each session in its entirety. Please do not plan to arrive late, leave early or miss sessions.
The Balint Leadership Intensive is a training course and is not intended as therapy. Nevertheless, Balint Group work can sometimes stir up strong feelings. Prospective registrants who are experiencing a particularly vulnerable period in their lives may want to consider participating in this training at a later date.
The world COVID-19 situation continues to evolve. All participants should anticipate that they will be required to provide proof of having received the CDC-recommended number of COVID-19 vaccinations no later than 2 weeks before the start of the course. Additional requirements may include having received a booster and/or testing before the event. Registrants will receive updates closer to the start of the course.
Notes
Application does not guarantee acceptance. The American Balint Society (ABS) reserves the right to choose the participants and registrants for its programs and to assign participants to small groups in order to maximize the educational and professional experience offered. We reserve the right to refuse registrations and to cancel registrations already made or to postpone or cancel any course due to unforeseen circumstances or insufficient enrollment. In the event of cancellation by the ABS, any registration fees paid will be refunded. Such refund shall represent the entire liability to the registrant.
COVID-19 considerations: we will monitor and comply with public health guidelines for a safe conference. Registrants will be informed closer to the event of any recommendations.
During this Balint Leadership Training Intensive, a few experienced participants may be co-leading small group sessions as part of an evaluation process by which they hope to become credentialed as Balint group leaders. If this occurs, we may ask all members of their small group to complete an assessment of the candidate's expertise during one of the two sessions in which he or she is acting as co-leader. We believe this process furthers your learning of Balint leadership skills in addition to offering the candidate helpful feedback.
Balint Groups
Balint groups provide an opportunity to develop insight into the interpersonal aspects of the clinician/patient encounter and to become more empathic with patients and with oneself. They are used by health care clinicians throughout the United States and internationally to improve clinician/patient communication and clinical effectiveness, increase practitioner satisfaction, and decrease isolation. Residencies and other training programs use Balint groups as part of their curriculum addressing professionalism, clinician/patient communication, and clinical ethics.
Target Audience
The Spokane Leadership Intensive course is appropriate for clinicians new to the Balint Group method as well as experienced Balint Group leaders. The course is well-suited to those who are currently leading, expect to lead in the future, or are seeking a better understanding of Balint groups. The curriculum is appropriate for physicians (primary care, psychiatry, other specialists), psychologists, social workers, other mental health care providers, veterinarians, and pastoral care providers.
Course Goals
At the end of the training, attendees will be able to:
- Describe verbal and non-verbal behaviors of Balint Group Leaders.
- Recognize the effectiveness of different leadership interventions.
- Identify the process and progression of a Balint group over multiple sessions.
- Define the new perspective of a presenter as a result of the Balint group process.
Note: a complete list of learning objectives is available on request.
Grievance Policy
Any concerns should be brought to the attention of the Course Directors, Janet Walker or Dave Schneider.
ABS Grievance Policy
Continuing Education
Application for CME credit has been filed with the American Academy of Family Physicians. Determination of credit is pending. (19 credits)
AMA/AAFP Equivalency: AAFP Prescribed credit is accepted by the American Medical Association as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 Credit toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. When applying for the AMA PRA, Prescribed credit earned must be reported as Prescribed, not as Category 1.
The American Balint Society is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The American Balint Society maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This activity is approved for 18.75 CE credits.
This program is Approved by the National Association of Social Workers (Approval # 886826093-7562) for 17 continuing education contact hours.
This program is approved by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards for 19 credits.