Work And How To Survive It

Antony Froggett interviews Dr Ceri Dornan about Balint Groups in episode 5 of the Work and How to Survive it podcast. Dr Ceri Dornan talks about the history of Balint Groups, describes how a Balint Group works and why they can be so enlivening and stimulating for those who get involved. She mentions the research that suggests Balint Groups can prevent "burn out" for professionals, but also explains why Balint Groups may not be for everyone. Balint Groups are named after Michael Balint (a Hungarian psychoanalyst), who together with his wife Enid, set training groups for GPs at the Tavistock Clinic in London in the 1950s. Traditionally a Balint group is a group of GPs (doctors in general practice) who meet on a regular basis with two facilitators (a psychotherapist and a GP) to explore in depth their experience of the doctor - patient relationship. They do this to become more aware of the complexities of the dynamics in their consultations and to be more effective in their engagements with patients.  Since the