The Balint Society
“Understanding the emotional content of the doctor-patient relationship”
What is a Balint group?
Do you work as a Health Professional? Would you welcome an opportunity to reflect with others on your work with patients and get support for the emotional demands of working with people in distress?
Balint Groups were initially developed by Michael and Enid Balint to help Doctors think about the emotional impact and content of their work, but have become valuable reflective spaces for a wide range of Health Professions, including Psychologists, Nurses, and Psychotherapists,and are now also being used in non-medical settings.
What happens in a session?
Each session, 2 members will have an opportunity to present a case, and can then sit back while the group reflect on their thoughts, feelings and fantasies about the therapeutic relationship as described. Through the rich associations and parallel process, the presenter finds new ways of thinking about the relationship.
When and where?
A monthly Balint group will be starting in Belfast on 23rd March 2017. The venue is Abbotsford Institute, a private Psychotherapy Centre on the upper floors of 2 Malone Road, Belfast. The group will run from 7.45 to 9.15 on Thursday evenings, and dates will be agreed for the year ahead. Membership will be limited to 8, and the fee is £15 per session.
The group leaders will be Dr Glenda Mock, a GP, and Christine Christie, a Psychotherapist and Group Analyst. Both are accredited Balint Leaders with a lot of experience locally and facilitating at national training events.
Contact either Glenda on 07793 018748, or Christine on 07711 689690 for more information, or email: glenda.mock@doctors.org.uk