Authors: Carolyn Durrant, Flick Grey, Paul Rhodes, Matthew Russell
Year: 2017
Event: 2017 TheMHS Conference
Subject: Change, Innovation, Reform,Service Systems, Delivery, Implementation,Workforce
Type of resource: Conference Presentations and Papers
Abstract: Open Dialogue is an approach to mental health care with its roots in 1980s Western Lapland. In the last 5 - 10 years it has generated a lot of interest internationally with many services based on its approach being developed both in Australia and abroad. There are currently at least three training programmes underway in Australia, including one in Sydney, NSW. Open Dialogue is said to be as much about a way of life as a therapeutic approach, so how does one teach a way of life to clinicians wanting only to learn a new way to help their clients facing mental distress? Does signing up for the latter, mean a commitment to the former, and how explicit should trainers be about this course requirement? The workshop will examine why Open Dialogue may necessitate a change in students’ way of life, and provide an opportunity for workshop participants to respond to and explore this.
Plan:
15 minutes – Brief introduction to Open Dialogue, including the seven principles - Chairperson
15 minutes – Responses and questions to the Open Dialogue approach – Group discussion
15 minutes – Using the Open Dialogue approach in clinical practice; the personal challenges – Co-presenters
15 minutes – Responses and questions to the personal challenges – Group discussion
10 minutes – What do the personal challenges of using Open Dialogue mean for training? Some initial thoughts – Chairperson
15 minutes – Responses and questions to thoughts about training – Group discussion
5 minutes – Wrap up and close - Chairperson
Learning Objectives
Learning Objective 1: Workshop participants will explore the personal aspects of using the Open Dialogue approach in mental health care and understand some of the challenges this poses to developing training courses. Learning Objective 2: Open Dialogue offers a new approach to mental health care in Australia that honours the lived experience of consumers and family members. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with some of the opportunities and challenges of teaching this new approach.
References
Seikkula, J. (2011), Becoming dialogical: Psychotherapy or a way of life?, The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 179 – 193
Seikkula, J. & Arnkil, T.E. (2014), Open dialogues and anticipations: Respecting otherness in the present moment, Helsinki: THL, Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare.
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