Abstract
Psychotherapy training is mandatory before trainees can gain membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. One type of introduction to psychotherapy is via a case discussion group, such as the one pioneered by Michael Balint. Much has been published regarding psychotherapy training, but little describing the Balint method from a trainee's perspective. Our paper outlines trainees' experiences of participating in this type of group. The group encouraged trainees to think about the doctor–patient relationship in their everyday clinical practice. All of those who finished the group described a positive experience, giving a good grounding for further psychotherapy training.
Highlights
Since the Royal College guidelines for psychotherapy training were published (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1993), it has been mandatory to train in psychotherapy before gaining membership of the College
A Balint group is a form of case-discussion group, originally developed by Michael Balint in the 1950s for general practitioners
Our group was unusual in that it was comprised entirely of psychiatric trainees and not general practitioners. It continued for a year and was co-led by a consultant psychiatrist and a specialist registrar in general psychiatry
Summary
Since the Royal College guidelines for psychotherapy training were published (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1993), it has been mandatory to train in psychotherapy before gaining membership of the College. A Balint group is a form of case-discussion group, originally developed by Michael Balint in the 1950s for general practitioners. These groups should be small (6-12 people), closed, continue for at least 6 months and have a leader who has training in psychotherapy and Balint groups (Hopkins, 1994). Our group was unusual in that it was comprised entirely of psychiatric trainees and not general practitioners. It continued for a year and was co-led by a consultant psychiatrist (specialising in analytic psychotherapy) and a specialist registrar in general psychiatry.
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