Calendar of Events - The American Balint Society

An online Balint Group is now forming which will meet the third Friday of each month at 3pm Pacific. The series will begin in May and run through December. Registration is limited to 8 participants to ensure everyone has an opportunity to present a case. Because group cohesiveness affects participants’ experience of the group, and a minimum number of participants are required to hold a session, registrants are asked to commit to attending all sessions. Please do not plan to arrive late, leave early or miss sessions, etc.

Leaders: 
Daniel Brass, MD, Daniel Brass is a psychiatrist in private psychotherapy practice in Melbourne, Australia. He is an accredited ('credentialed') Balint group leader and current president of the Balint Society of Australia and New Zealand (BalintANZ). Daniel is working towards a PhD on 'Balint groups across the medical careerspan' in the Department of Medical Education at the University of Melbourne. 



Kathy Knowlton, PhD, is an ABS Supervisor and past president. She is retired from a private practice in psychoanalytic psychotherapy in Seattle. She stays absurdly busy leading Balint groups for all kinds of medical and mental health practitioners. She also owns a bookstore and has two grandkids plus a dog and a cat.  



Meeting Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm Eastern Time/3:00 - 4pm Pacific Time. The initial meeting will be 90 minutes to allow for introductions and an overview of the Balint method. Subsequent meetings will be 60 minutes. 
Number of meetings and Dates: Eight (8) monthly meetings on the following Fridays: May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15, September 19, October 17, November 21, and December 19, 2025.

Fee:
$200 for ABS Members
$320 for non-members

Cancellation Policy:
If canceled by the ABS or hosts due to insufficient registrants, those registered will receive their money back. Otherwise, no return of fee is possible, including in the event of registrant's partial attendance or inability to complete the sequence of sessions. 

1. Registrants must be clinically active and willing to present cases.
2. Balint work can stir strong emotions. If the registrant is at an unusually stressful period in their life, we recommend they sign up at another time.
3. Because the success of the group depends in part on cohesion, steady attendance matters. Registrants must intend to attend all sessions of the group.

Target Audience
This series is appropriate for clinicians new to the Balint Group method as well as experienced Balint Group leaders. Suitable for those in active practice including physicians (primary care, psychiatry, other specialists), nurse practitioners, psychologists, social workers, and others. 

Accreditation
The AAFP has reviewed Balint Group - Decreasing Isolation with Peer Consultation, and deemed it acceptable for AAFP credit. 

AMA/AAFP Equivalency: AAFP Prescribed credit is accepted by the American Medical Association as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 Credit toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. When applying for the AMA PRA, Prescribed credit earned must be reported as Prescribed, not as Category 1.

The American Balint Society is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The American Balint Society maintains responsibility for this program and its content.  

More Information

Grievance Policy:
Any concerns should be brought to the attention of Rebekah Schiefer, Committee Chair.

ABS Grievance Policy

An online Balint Group is now forming which will meet the first Tuesday of each month at 7pm Eastern. The series will begin in June and run through January. Registration is limited to 8 participants to ensure everyone has an opportunity to present a case. Because group cohesiveness affects participants’ experience of the group, and a minimum number of participants are required to hold a session, registrants are asked to commit to attending all sessions. Please do not plan to arrive late, leave early or miss sessions, etc.

Leaders: 

Arnold Goldberg, MD, is a Clinical Associate Professor of FM at the Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University. An ABS Credentialed Leader since 2011, Arnold recently became an ABS Supervisor. Dr. Goldberg has 3 children, 5 grandchildren, 1 grandcat and 1 grand dog. He enjoys tent camping, Transcendental meditation for 50 years, baseball, and singing. Also he loves telling BAD DAD jokes.  




Barbara Hemmendinger, MSS, is a retired clinical social worker previously in the FM Residency program at UPMC Williamsport. An ABS Credentialed Leader since 2003, Barbara has led groups both online and in person for FM residents as well as clinicians. A talented artist, she performs frequently with her choral group and publishes her poems on Pulse Voices.



Meeting Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm Eastern Time/4:00 - 5pm Pacific Time. The initial meeting will be 90 minutes to allow for introductions and an overview of the Balint method, meetings two - six will be 60 minutes, and the final meeting on January 6th will be 90 minutes to allow for group closure. 
Number of meetings and Dates: Eight (8) monthly meetings on the following Tuesdays: June 3, July 1, August 5, September 2, October 7, November 4, December 2, 2025, and January 6, 2026. 

Fee:
$200 for ABS Members
$320 for non-members

Cancellation Policy:
If canceled by the ABS or hosts due to insufficient registrants, those registered will receive their money back. Otherwise, no return of fee is possible, including in the event of registrant's partial attendance or inability to complete the sequence of sessions. 

1. Registrants must be clinically active and willing to present cases.
2. Balint work can stir strong emotions. If the registrant is at an unusually stressful period in their life, we recommend they sign up at another time.
3. Because the success of the group depends in part on cohesion, steady attendance matters. Registrants must intend to attend all sessions of the group.

Target Audience
This series is appropriate for clinicians new to the Balint Group method as well as experienced Balint Group leaders. Suitable for those in active practice including physicians (primary care, psychiatry, other specialists), nurse practitioners, psychologists, social workers, and others. 

Accreditation
The AAFP has reviewed Balint Group - Decreasing Isolation with Peer Consultation, and deemed it acceptable for AAFP credit. 

AMA/AAFP Equivalency: AAFP Prescribed credit is accepted by the American Medical Association as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 Credit toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. When applying for the AMA PRA, Prescribed credit earned must be reported as Prescribed, not as Category 1.

The American Balint Society is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The American Balint Society maintains responsibility for this program and its content.  

More Information

Grievance Policy:
Any concerns should be brought to the attention of Rebekah Schiefer, Committee Chair.

ABS Grievance Policy

                                                                        
The four-day Intensive course is designed to teach Balint group leadership technique primarily through experiential groups, supplemented by topic-focused small discussion groups and faculty panel discussions. Attendees will have ample time to present cases, practice leading a Balint group, and engage informally with other participants. 

The Charleston Leadership Intensive course is appropriate for clinicians new to the Balint Group method as well as experienced Balint Group leaders. The course is well-suited to those who are currently leading, expect to lead in the future, or are seeking a better understanding of Balint groups.  The curriculum is appropriate for physicians (primary care, psychiatry, other specialists), psychologists, social workers, other mental health care providers, veterinarians, and pastoral care providers.

Course Details

Cancellation Policy

Registrants wishing to cancel their registration must do so in writing by the cancellation deadline of July 7, 2025. For cancellations received by the cancellation date, $100 of the registration fee will be withheld for administrative fees and the refund will occur within 30 days of acknowledgment of cancellation. For cancellations received after the deadline, no refunds will be available. 

ABS Grievance Policy
Any concerns should be brought to the attention of the Course Directors, Alec Chessman, chessman@musc.edu   or Allison Bickett, allison.bickett@atriumhealth.org

ABS Grievance Policy

An online Balint Group is now forming which will meet biweekly on Mondays at 5pm Eastern/2pm Pacific. The series will begin in September and run through December. Registration is limited to 8 participants to ensure everyone has an opportunity to present a case. Because group cohesiveness affects participants’ experience of the group, and a minimum number of participants are required to hold a session, registrants are asked to commit to attending all sessions. Please do not plan to arrive late, leave early or miss sessions, etc.

Leaders: 


Sandra Relyea is a Pediatric Physician Assistant, Forensic Child Abuse Examiner and Expert Witness in Port Angeles, WA. She is a credentialed Balint Leader and has co-led several in person and online Balint groups over the years. She spends most of her free time in the outdoors, reading or doing art work.




Trevor Slocum, LMHC, is a psychodynamic psychotherapist in private practice serving couples and providing long-term psychotherapy for adults. He completed the Balint Group Leadership Fellowship, is a credentialed Balint Group Leader and has led multiple online Balint groups for psychotherapists and psychiatrists.  Trevor lives in Seattle, WA, and enjoys baking, gardening, and long walks. 



Meeting Time: Initial meeting: Monday, September 15th 1:30 - 3:00pm Pacific (90 minutes to allow for introductions and an overview of the Balint method). Subsequent meetings will be 60 minutes: 2:00 - 3:00pm Pacific.
Number of meetings and Dates: Eight (8) meetings on the following Tuesdays: September 15, September 29, October 13, October 27, November 10, November 24, December 8 and December 22.

Fee:
$200 for ABS Members
$320 for non-members

Cancellation Policy:
If canceled by the ABS or hosts due to insufficient registrants, those registered will receive their money back. Otherwise, no return of fee is possible, including in the event of registrant's partial attendance or inability to complete the sequence of sessions. 

1. Registrants must be clinically active and willing to present cases.
2. Balint work can stir strong emotions. If the registrant is at an unusually stressful period in their life, we recommend they sign up at another time.
3. Because the success of the group depends in part on cohesion, steady attendance matters. Registrants must intend to attend all sessions of the group.

Target Audience
This series is appropriate for clinicians new to the Balint Group method as well as experienced Balint Group leaders. Suitable for those in active practice including physicians (primary care, psychiatry, other specialists), nurse practitioners, psychologists, social workers, and others. 

Accreditation
The AAFP has reviewed Balint Group - Decreasing Isolation with Peer Consultation, and deemed it acceptable for AAFP credit. 

AMA/AAFP Equivalency: AAFP Prescribed credit is accepted by the American Medical Association as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 Credit toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. When applying for the AMA PRA, Prescribed credit earned must be reported as Prescribed, not as Category 1.

The American Balint Society is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The American Balint Society maintains responsibility for this program and its content.  

More Information

Grievance Policy:
Any concerns should be brought to the attention of Rebekah Schiefer, Committee Chair.

ABS Grievance Policy