Group discussion of a video-recorded real or role-played consultation is a well-established way of helping general practitioners, trainees or students to explore the clinical, relational and communication dimensions of their work. The challenge for anyone leading a video case discussion group is to facilitate a process which is rigorous and thought-provoking yet at the same time supportive, constructive and respectful of the vulnerability of the individual presenting, and which, moreover, builds over time a safe and creative learning environment for the Group as a whole. This paper describes a systematic approach –elaborated over a 20-year period by Jan-Helge Larsen and colleagues from an idea by Colin Coles – that goes a long way towards meeting this challenge. It can be used at all stages of undergraduate and postgraduate training.The term ‘windows’ refers to 10 stages the discussion goes through in sequence, each one opening a different viewpoint or window on the case. To experienced tutors, the windows method’s prescriptive structure may at first seem somewhat rigid. However, for learners with less experience of reflection and self-disclosure, it provides the security necessary to explore uncertainties and alternatives,giving group members a framework and a vocabulary of constructive commentary which will be of value throughout their professional lives.