Dialogic Practice: The Art of Presence

This is an in-person, introductory intensive in dialogic practice as it arose in Open Dialogue. Pioneered in Finland, dialogic practice in the Open Dialogue system is an empirically validated, network-based approach to severe psychiatric crises. The focus is on developing a social network of family and helpers and reducing isolation by establishing a “dialogue,” i.e. e., a communicative relationship, with the patient. Among its signature features, Open Dialogue provides immediate help and organizes “a treatment meeting” within twenty-four hours of the initial contact. The participants will gain experience with the specific clinical skills needed to conduct dialogic-network meetings. Experiential and hands-on, it is designed for practicing clinicians, peer specialists and behavioral health professionals.

The framework is integrative and humanistic, and rooted in dialogic and reflecting-process work, which evolved from family therapy. Insights from analytic and psychodynamic-trauma approaches, as well as the internal family systems approach, “IFs” also inform this training.