title: The still point of the turning world? Building on Balint: A personal view.
abstract: In this article, I will respond to the conference title "Building on Balint" by briefly considering some of the inherent obstacles to Balint work, before describing the current state of play in the UK. I will argue that Balint work might benefit from exploring its relationship with attachment theory more fully. In particular, I emphasize an important new role for Balint groups within contemporary health-care organizations-one that enhances a feeling of emotional security for the professional within the organization and also benefits the teamwork and morale of the organization itself. I will give an example of a Balint group in a health-care organization for vulnerable doctors and finish by giving a report on the development of Balint groups for medical students in the UK.
authors.affiliation: The Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, London, UK andrewelder@blueyonder.co.uk.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elder
mesh_terms: D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D006801:Humans; D009769:Object Attachment; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011582:Psychological Theory; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Balint groups; attachment theory; teamwork and morale