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Research Project

Balint groups and the patient doctor relationship

Principal Investigator
Professor Raluca Soreanu
People sat in a circle outside. Black and white photo. 1968

Balint Groups and the patient doctor relationship

The groups were initiated by the medically trained psychoanalyst Michael Balint in the 1950s.

In the groups, psychoanalysts encountered medical doctors to discuss the latter鈥檚 difficulties with their patients. This encounter has unexplored consequences for the understanding of illness and the formation of medical doctors.

I propose a multi-method social history of 鈥淏alint groups鈥� and I ask two questions:

  • How can we understand this complex psychoanalysis-medicine conversation? and
  • What does this case have to say about what psychoanalysis can offer to medicine, with respect to making sense of illness?

The structure of the project 

The project has four dimensions of research:

  • theoretical, examining Balint鈥檚 innovative relational conception of illness
  • historical, analysing the importance of Balint鈥檚 embeddedness in the Budapest School of psychoanalysis
  • epistemological, looking at the forms of boundary-work between psychoanalysis and medicine that characterised the emergence of Balint groups and reflecting on the collective and transdisciplinary knowledge produced in the group
  • ethical, discussing the non-hierarchical modes of relationality in the groups.

The project relies on archival research and brings to light the novel material contained in the Balint Archive, held by the since 2014.

Publications

Michael Balint for Our Times: The London Years

Michael Balint for Our Times: The London Years. London: Routledge

Soreanu, R. (forthcoming 2021).

[co-edited with Judit Szekacs and Ivan Ward]

B谩lint Mih谩ly for Our Times: The Budapest Years

B谩lint Mih谩ly for Our Times: The Budapest Years. London: Routledge 

Soreanu, R. (forthcoming 2020). 

[co-edited with Judit Szekacs and Ivan Ward]

Michael Balint's Word Trail: The 鈥極cnophil鈥�, the 鈥楶hilobat鈥� and Creative Dyads

.

Soreanu, R., (2019).

Psychoanalysis and History. 21 (1), 53-72

Supervision for our times: countertransference and the rich legacy of the Budapest School

.

Soreanu, R., (2019)

American Journal of Psychoanalysis. 79 (3), 329-351

On Michael Balint, Cases and Countertransference

.

Soreanu, R., (2018)

The Journal of the Balint Society. 46, 57-63

Grupos Balint

[On Michael Balint鈥檚 Epistemic Style: 鈥淏alint Groups鈥�, Medical Utopias and the Legacy of the Budapest School of Psychoanalysis].

 Soreanu, R., (2018)

Cadernos de Psicanalise (CPRJ). 40 (39), 229-250

Exhibitions

Michael Balint. The Early Work with Groups

鈥楳ichael Balint. The Early Work with Groups鈥�, displayed on the occasion of the International Balint Federation Congress, Porto, Portugal, September 11-14, 2019.

Balint at 50: From Foundation to the Future

鈥楤alint at 50: From Foundation to the Future鈥�, displayed on the occasion of celebration of 50 years of Balint Society UK, at the Wellcome Collection, London, May 17, 2019.

 

Michael Balint at 50. Exhibition poster

 

 

The Balints and Their World

鈥楾he Balints and Their World鈥�, displayed at The Freud Museum, London, December 8-9, 2018.

On Michael Balint鈥檚 Trails

鈥極n Michael Balint鈥檚 Trails鈥�, displayed on the occasion of the 13th International S谩ndor Ferenczi Conference: 鈥楩erenczi in Our Time & A Renaissance of Psychoanalysis鈥�, Florence, Italy, May 3-6, 2018 (in collaboration with Judit Szekacs). 

Michael Balint, The Internationalist

鈥楳ichael Balint, The Internationalist鈥�, displayed on the occasion of  the 20th International Balint Federation Congress, Oxford September 6-10, 2017.

Conferences organised

The Balints and their World: Object Relations and Beyond

. International conference,

The Freud Museum, London, December 7-9, 2018, (co-organised with psychoanalyst Judit Szekacs).

Keynote and plenary talks

Michael Balint: Early Interventions, Early Groups

鈥楳ichael Balint: Early Interventions, Early Groups鈥�. 21st International Balint Congress 'Seeing Medicine through Other Eyes',

Porto, Portugal, 2/9/2019. [Plenary Talk]

On Michael Balint, Cases and Taboos

鈥極n Michael Balint, Cases and Taboos鈥�. South London Organisation of Vocational Training Scheme: 鈥楾aboos: Addressing Difficult Topics with Medical Trainees鈥�.

Cumberland Lodge, Windsor, UK, September 18-19, 2018. [Keynote speech]

On Michael Balint鈥檚 Trail

鈥極n Michael Balint鈥檚 Trail鈥�. The International Balint Federation Congress,

Oxford, September 6-10, 2017. [Plenary talk]

Conference papers and invited talks

Michael Balint in Budapest

鈥楳ichael Balint in Budapest鈥�. 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Balint Society.

Wellcome Collection, London, UK, May 17, 2019.

Grupos Balint, e o legado da Escola de Psican谩lise de Budapeste 聽

鈥淕rupos Balint鈥� e o legado da Escola de Psican谩lise de Budapeste鈥�
[鈥淏alint Groups鈥�, and the Legacy of the Budapest School of Psychoanalysis鈥橾.

Pontifica Universidade do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, October 19, 2017. 

O estilo epist锚mico de Michael Balint: 鈥淕rupos Balint鈥�, utopias m茅dicas e o legado da Escola de Psican谩lise de Budapeste

鈥極 estilo epist锚mico de Michael Balint: 鈥淕rupos Balint鈥�, utopias m茅dicas e o legado da Escola de Psican谩lise de Budapeste鈥�
[鈥極n Michael Balint鈥檚 Epistemic Style: 鈥淏alint Groups鈥�, Medical Utopias and the Legacy of the Budapest School of Psychoanalysis鈥橾.

C铆rculo Psicanal铆tico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 26, 2016.

On Michael Balint, Cases, and Countertransference

鈥極n Michael Balint, Cases, and Countertransference鈥�. Symposium 鈥楾hinking in Cases: On and Beyond the Couch鈥�. 

The Freud Museum, London, UK, October 30, 2016.

Principal Investigator

Professor Raluca Soreanu

Professor Raluca Soreanu

Principal Investigator

Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies, 糖心Vlog

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