ABSTRACT
In any group of people working together there often develops a shared language – code words referring to individuals or experiences that have significance for those in the know. The doctor's defensive withdrawal into her professional shell became understandable in the light of the personal issue which eventually emerged in the group discussion. The idea of taking part in some sort of game with the patient is a familiar one. A different concept which had resonance with primary care work related to the functioning of the human immune and nervous systems. It is perhaps not surprising if the mechanisms that protect us physically have some counterpart in our emotional and psychological defences. One of the objectives of basic Balint training is to help the doctor to become more aware of his 'blind spots' and to question any 'routine' response to certain situations, in case a defence is being evoked.
