HomeWhat is Balint?

What is Balint?

Balint Online: Decreasing isolation through peer consultation

Balint Online groups are led by ABS Credentialed Leaders and are open to members as well as non-members both nationally and internationally. As live, face-to-face activities, they may offer Category 1 CME through AAFP and APA-approved CE for psychologists.

Using online videoconferencing software, with encryption security, makes this type of Balint group affordable and accessible.

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Converting Your Balint Group to Online
At the onset of the COVID Pandemic, Don Nease, Albert Lichtenstein, and Lisa Buck led a series of tutorials on how to convert a Balint group to meeting online. The video below is from one of those sessions.

From the Mission Statement: "The ABS strives to promote and encourage increased participation in Balint group work."

What is a Balint Group?

A Balint group is a group of clinicians, often physicians, who meet regularly to present clinical cases in order to improve and to better understand the clinician-patient relationship.

While physicians are usually trained to seek the “right” answer to medical problems, in a Balint group, the focus is on enhancing the clinician’s ability to connect with and care for the patient. A Balint group session begins with a member's presenting a case for the group to discuss. The group learns about the patient through the presenter’s story and about how their relationship seems to the clinician. During the facilitated discussion, the group members uncover different and new perceptions about the patient's and physician’s feelings and their experiences with each other.

A Balint group usually has two leaders who facilitate the process. The success of a group depends on its members being honest, respectful, and supportive of divergent opinions. The content of the group is confidential. A Balint group may meet for months or years, and group cohesion and trust develop over time.

Find a Local Balint Group
Looking for a Balint group near you? Please access our list of Credentialed Leaders and reach out to the one nearest you to find out about events and groups in your area.

"Restoring the Core of Clinical Practice: What is a Balint group and how does it help?" by Laurel Milberg, PhD and Katherine Knowlton, PhD. Available in paperback or ebook Order Now

The American Balint Society, is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to improving the therapeutic relationships between healing professionals and their clients/patients. The American Balint Society is a member society of the International Balint Federation.