Primary school principals’ Balint Group – co-facilitated by Deirdre O’Donoghue and Belinda Moller
“The Balint Support Group has been an invaluable professional resource and support to me in my role of school principal of CWETNS. I was a member for six years, and throughout that time, I thrived in the collaborative environment created by the Balint model of support. The wealth of knowledge shared within the group enhanced my leadership skills, my decision-making abilities and my ability to deal with challenging situations. I am sincerely grateful for the ongoing support and camaraderie that Balint provides me. I highly recommend this professional support group to school principals who value and appreciate a space to reflect, share experiences, offer support and build resilience in their leadership role within their school.” – Dermot Stanley – principal of Canal Way Educate Together National School
At the start of the National Health Service in the UK in the 1950’s, psychoanalysts, Michael and Enid Balint, developed a model of small group work for trainee General Practitioners. Today, it is used as a professional development tool across the world. Increasingly, Balint groups are being used in different professions including education – see Balint Society UK.
The primary principals’ Balint group has been running since 2017. The group began with Educate Together primary principals, who are now keen to open up the membership to principals from across the Irish primary sector. The ideal Balint group is small, with 10-12 members. The group meets in-person, in Dublin city centre, on Thursday mornings from 9.30-11am. It meets 7-8 times during the school year. The dates are scheduled in advance (see below) and members generally commit for a minimum of a year.
The Balint Group’s focus is on the difficult, complex or upsetting professional relationships that you encounter in your role as Principal and educator. These could be with families, parents, students, colleagues or staff from other educational institutions. The aim is to better understand these relationships. As you know, they are not straightforward. Much of the communication is unspoken and kept below the surface. As professionals, we tend to approach anxious situations with a problem-solving mindset, often bypassing the time taken to understand what is really happening. Over time, some relationships can be associated with resentment, frustration and dread.
What happens in the primary principals’ Balint group?
The co-leaders remind members about absolute confidentiality, and then invite a case – a professional relationship that feels difficult, confusing, even upsetting. It can be current or years old and is presented to the group in just four to five minutes.
After some factual questions, the ‘presenter’ hands the case over to their colleagues. The group is asked to speculate and imagine what might be happening, but is asked not to give advice, provide solutions or suggestions, or to share comparison cases. The group wonders out loud and ponders the questions: What might those involved be feeling and thinking? What might be happening for them? What impact does this have on the presenter? What impact on the other person/s involved? What is really going on here? What does this mean for the role of Principal? The group discussion is not about finding the answer, the aim is to generate a different set of perspectives, thoughts and associations about the relationship/s. Often, presenters will say ‘I never thought of the problem/the person in that way’. Over time, attendance at a Balint group is a useful way to develop new habits, a different ‘mindset’ to the typical conflicts that arise, and alternative approaches to the most difficult issues in your professional role.
To find out more, please contact the co facilitators – see contact details are below.
2024-2025 Primary Principals’ Balint Group
Day and Time: Thursdays 9.30-11am.
Frequency: 7-8 times over the school year
Dates: (to be confirmed with group re: sector clashes)
- 26th September
- 24th October
- 28th November
- 16th January, 2025
- 13th February
- 13th March
- 8th May
- 12th June
Location: 71 Dame Street, 2nd Floor, Dublin DO2 YH9O
Cost: €450 per member per school year.
Belinda Moller, 71 Dame Street, Dublin 2, 087 239 3792, belindamoller@mac.com
