Balint Leadership Training Intensive

Training leaders in relationship centered care.™

Join us in Seattle, WA

February 11 - 13, 2027

Sponsored by:

Early Registration Deadline: October 31, 2026

Registration Deadline: December 11, 2026

Course Overview

The Seattle Intensive is unique in that it is designed to accommodate a single group of participants led by three credentialed faculty. The conference will be held in Seattle's University District with the exact location to be shared upon registration. No lodging is provided for this conference because of its local character. 

This three-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.

The high faculty:participant ratio makes this course well-suited to meet the needs of those new to Balint group leadership as well as those who have experience and wish to hone their skills. Each Intensive course is unique, reflecting the diversity of the faculty, attendees, and the cases offered. 

Tentative Schedule 

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.

Conference Director

Kathy Knowlton, PhD
Clinical Instructor, FM Residency
U of Washington
Burien, WA

Additional Faculty 

Doug Russell, MD
Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist
University of Washington/Seattle Childrens'
Seattle, WA

Kris Wheeler, MA, LMHC
Private Practice/Center for Object Relations
Northwest Alliance for Psychoanalytic Studies
Seattle, WA

All faculty members are credentialed as Balint Group leaders by the American Balint Society. In accordance with ACCME requirements on disclosure, information about relationships of presenters with commercial interest (if any) will be included in materials distributed at the time of the conference. 

Registration Fees

Registration fee includes syllabus, daily refreshment breaks and lunches.

Single Registration:
    $900 by October 31, 2026; $975 regular rate

ABS Member Registration:
    $800 by October 31, 2026; $875 regular rate

Residents, students, fellows receive a discount:
    $640 by October 31, 2026; $700 regular rate

ABS Member Residents, students & fellows:
    $560 by October 31, 2026; $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 Kathy Knowlton by email prior to registering. If you have any issues with the registration process, contact Shantel Beckers.

Register Now

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 scholarship programs 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 Scholarship program provides full tuition support for up to one individual who have been accepted into an ABS Leadership Training Intensive course.  You must complete the registration process prior to submitting one of the financial aid applications.

Please note that the deadline for financial aid applications is October 31, 2026. (Note: buttons below will download the application.)

ABS Intensive Financial Aid Application

Cancellation Policy

Registrants wishing to cancel their registration must do so in writing by the cancellation deadline of December 11, 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.  

Target Audience

The Seattle 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), allied health professionals, psychologists, social workers, other mental health care providers, veterinarians, and pastoral care providers.

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.

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. In the event of cancelation by the ABS, any registration fees paid will be refunded. Such refund shall represent the entire liability to the registrant. 

During this Balint Leadership Training Intensive, an experienced participant 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. 

Continuing Education

The AAFP has reviewed Balint Leadership Training Intensive, and deemed it acceptable for AAFP credit. Term of approval is from 04/22/2026 to 04/21/2027. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

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.

This program is approved by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards for 19 credits. 

Course Goals

At the end of the training, attendees will be able to:

1. Describe verbal and non-verbal behaviors of Balint Group Leaders.
2. Recognize the effectiveness of different leadership interventions.
3. Identify the process and progression of a Balint group over multiple sessions.
4. 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 Kathy Knowlton.
ABS Grievance Policy