Balint Group

Balint groups were originally developed for improving doctor-patient relationships. It specifically focuses on the emotions and feelings that the two parties go through, and offers an opportunity for colleagues to provide feedback in a supportive environment. 

This form of group work can be particularly effective in educational contexts. Like doctors, it is critical that teachers and other education professionals be able to develop empathy and be able to examine the psychological underpinnings of behaviour, in order to better assist and accommodate learners. Balint groups could be a particularly effective tool for discussing cases of special needs learners, and for supporting the development of classroom management techniques. Education professionals already discuss many of the issues in an informal context. The Balint group provides a concrete framework and a focus for discussion.

Balint groups can be viewed as a method that: 

• Creates group consciousness that can be directed towards mutual support
• Focuses on the importance of a personal story
• Leads to group and personal insights
• Provokes associative thinking
• Allows for analysis of complex situations
• Guides individuals towards developing solution s

A Balint group can be structured in the following manner:

• Sharing
  All the group members share a story (2 min. each)
  At this phase the idea is to listen to the broad range of experiences present in the group along the selected/chosen theme. It is more to present the skeleton of the story than details of it. 

• Selecting a story
  The group members select one of the stories and hears a detailed version of it (10 min.)
  Based on the different stories the group selects the one that they would like to explore in depth and the story teller has the time to present it. At this point, the storyteller talks, and the group members listens.
  If the storyteller or the group members needs some encouragement, the moderator should focus on getting everyone to think freely, like so:
                       “Think fresh, think freely!” 
                       “Have the courage of your own stupidity!”

• Clarification
  The group members ask questions to the story teller for clarification of the circumstances of the story (15 min.)
  It is important to note that the questions should be focused on the circumstances rather than feelings. Talking about the feelings might influence the group members and this might diminish the value of the associative thinking. Though emotional states are the focus of the exercise, this part of the exercise is designed to clarify the experience on a sensory level.

• Feedback and free association
  The story teller receives feedback from the members of the group based on the free associations they have had while listening and questioning (15 min.).
  The storyteller listens, while the group talks. At this point, the members of the group are free to ask questions about feelings and emotions.
  The group members should consider expressing themselves in the following ways:
                              “It reminds me of the time when…”
                                 "While listening to your story I thought of…”
                               “The associations I have had along your sharing were…”
  The focus should be on associations with the story, and on the feelings occurring, not on the circumstances.
  Based on all that has been heard the group members are encouraged to give support to the story teller as based on their experience, or with ideas produced through free association during the group process. Usually this is a phase when creative solutions are arrived at. However, the goal is not necessarily to find a solution (or even construct a problem), but rather to set a diverse background of guiding thoughts to support the story teller in the learning process.
  The group experience can draw the storyteller’s attention to areas that have not been previously considered, and can be a source of new insight. The group can also more clearly illustrate certain aspects of the story, either with additional examples, or through their questions. This provides an opportunity for the story teller to look at his/her story from a distance and from a place of neutrality.

• Storyteller response
  The story teller shares what insights she/he got with the group members (5mins).
  At this point the story teller has the chance to express what was the most valuable for him. What ideas have come to him through the group sharing and also any unexpected solutions and or underestimated issues that have been brought to light. 

• Evaluation
  After the Balint Group a general sharing of the whole group is advised as a reflection of the process and the insights that it brought. 

Source: http://www.balintinternational.com/balintwork.html; http://www.balint.co.uk