Balint Groups: A Novel Approach to Address Doctor of Physical Therapy Student Affective Domain Development

Abstract

Recent calls for Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) education to cultivate the affective domain or "habits of the heart" have highlighted a gap in curricula, where cognitive and psychomotor learning domains are often the focus. Balint groups, traditionally used in medical education, offer a potential method for addressing this gap. These small peer discussion groups provide a space for students to reflect on the emotional and interpersonal complexities of providing patient care through practicing perspective-taking. The authors share information addressing implementation of Balint in DPT education and benefits experienced by students, including perceived improvements in empathy, emotional awareness, and therapeutic patient relationships. By developing these "habits of the hear," future physical therapists will be better equipped to attend to the humanistic aspects of patient care.