ABSTRACT
Caring for patients with serious or terminal illness evokes powerful emotional responses in even the most experienced of health-care provider. Little value is placed on the internal emotional needs and conflicts of the health-care provider, and even less attention is paid to their impact on relationships with patients and their families. Without attention to the interpersonal dynamics that inevitably surface in every provider-patient interaction, health-care professionals are left in precarious situations cognitively, emotionally, and clinically. In recognition of these difficult dynamics and their impact on patient care, Balint groups were born. The Balints understood that the interpersonal medium often carried the curative aspect of care. Today Balint groups have evolved to include health-care and mental-health professionals from multiple disciplines. In essence Balint groups address Gabbard's premise that countertransference "is inevitable and useful as part of an exploration involving two spontaneous and responsive individuals engaged in an intense and emotionally taxing interaction".
