Who We Are

The Northwest Balint Circle includes medical and mental health professionals with an interest in the reflective case consultation discipline known as Balint group work. Many of our members have leadership training through the American Balint Society. Some are credentialed leaders or supervisors approved to train others.

We have members active at the national ABS and international IBF levels.

Contact Us to arrange a speaker for your professional group or agency. Balint group demonstrations provide excellent professional development and team building, and our experienced speaker-leaders can adapt to fit your context and needs.

We can help you start your own Balint groups with an Intensive on the Road, training up to twelve leaders in your own organization.

What is A Balint group?

Balint groups consist of medical and mental health professionals interested in improving the clinician-patient relationship. They meet regularly to focus on specific cases with the goal of improving treatment. They do not do treatment planning, but increase the thoughts and feelings available to the clinician in difficult circumstances. The group process supports divergent (right brain) as opposed to convergent (left brain) thinking. Regular participation helps develop intuition and empathy.

In spring of 2014 Seattle hosted a training attended by people from five countries and eleven states. Afterward the faculty made a video by answering the question "What is a Balint group?" Faculty of the Leadership Training Intensive.

For a much more detailed description, read "Restoring the Core of Clinical Practice: What is a Balint group and how does it help?" by Laurel Milberg and Kathy Knowlton, available from Amazon books.

Please note that while the pandemic dictates special circumstances for meetings, we are easily able to provide our activities virtually. The American Balint Society, which has trained our leaders, has a successful multi-year history of online meetings and consults internationally to help leaders shift from in-person to virtual sessions. If you are interested in this option for any of our activities, please be in touch. The fall 2020 open enrollment group described under Event News is such a group.

Event News

Fall Open Enrollment Group: Balint Group for case consultation: Supporting our healthcare providers to avoid burnout, and increase positive health outcomes for patients.

Attention Healthcare providers: MDs, NDs, DOs, PAs, Psychotherapist, Acupuncturists, Nurses, Nutritionists, and other healthcare providers.

Niels Nielsen, MD and Trevor Slocum, MA, LMHC are offering a multidisciplinary Balint group for doctors, psychotherapists, and healthcare providers. We are forming a group of 8 clinician participants, who are currently healthcare providers and able to present cases. This series of groups will meet two Fridays of every month for 8 sessions via Zoom. Details here.

Our Activities

Our members participate in, lead and demonstrate Balint groups in many settings. To respect the power and complexity of group process, our listings include only groups which involve leaders with some training through the American Balint Society. Groups may differ in cost and enrollment structure. The following examples include leader contact information where appropriate.

Polyclinic Balints: Multiple Specialties, Multiple Settings

These groups are held by the largest multi-specialty clinic in the state. Read more: Polyclinic Balint

Rotating Leader Groups

This format was pioneered in England. Read more: Rotating Leader Groups

Introductory Demonstrations

Members present papers and lead demonstrations at conferences, professional trainings and classes, nationally, locally and at the international level. If you are interested in hosting a speaker/trainer from the Northwest Balint Circle, contact us.

Weekends

Part of the Northwest Balint Circle's purpose is to provide a Balint weekend regularly. Read more:

Balint Weekends

What's happening?
Leadership Training
Intensives:

Boston, MA
Fall, 2021

Balint Groups:

Open enrollment group
September - December
See events below

Available from Amazon books in paperback or ebook format:
Restoring the Core of Clinical Practice: What is a Balint Group and How does it Help?
by Laurel Milberg, PhD and Katherine Knowlton, PhD.