On February 6, Abai University hosted a practical seminar titled “Balint Group – a Group Method for Preventing Emotional Burnout among Professionals.” The seminar aimed to introduce curators-advisers to the Balint group method, which helps prevent emotional burnout in a professional environment, to enable in-depth analysis of difficulties arising in interactions with students, and to form a system of mutual support within the team.

The invited speaker of the seminar was Sergey Vladimirovich Sklyar, Candidate of Medical Sciences, senior physician, psychiatrist, and psychotherapist. In his speech, he emphasized that the prevention of emotional burnout begins primarily with a person’s understanding of their inner emotions and the ability to distinguish them. “Without feeling your emotions and understanding the state you are in, concentration is impossible. You need to notice the emotion, set it aside for a moment, and only then start working,” the specialist noted.

During the seminar, participants actively engaged in practical exercises and, in a circle format, named their current feelings. The speaker pointed out that specialists often tend to talk about thoughts rather than emotions, noting that this is one of the deep-rooted causes of professional burnout. “When I ask about emotions, many people start talking about thoughts. Even professionals themselves do not always distinguish between emotions and thoughts,” Sergey Sklyar said.

The psychotherapist also gave an example showing that people, even when sitting in the same space, may perceive a situation differently, explaining that each person has their own “virtual reality.” “We are in the same room and looking at the same thing, but each of us has our own reality. Every person considers only their own reality to be correct,” he explained. In this context, the specialist emphasized the importance of consciously understanding one’s condition in professional life.

During the event, the structure of the Balint method was presented, and specific practical cases were analyzed. Participants discussed challenging situations encountered while working with students, learned to view conflict situations from another person’s perspective, and to find internal resources. Sergey Sklyar also warned against the error of generalizing in professional communication. According to him, saying that all students do not complete their homework is a generalization mistake. Not everyone is the same – each student has their own situation.

At the end of the seminar, the curators shared their impressions of the value of collegial support. The speaker provided practical recommendations for preventing emotional burnout and restoring energy. More than 40 curators took part in the seminar.

Media Center «Abai University»