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Open(ing) Dialogues: An International Online Workshop

An invitation to explore dialogical ways of working in mental health and social crises.

Trainers: Iseult Twamley, Mia Kurtti & Rai Waddingham.

Option 1: 17 & 18 February 2022 (full days)
2-10pm GMT/UTC (e.g. 9-5pm in New York)

Option 2: 31 March, 1, 7 & 8 April 2022 (half days)
7-11am BST/UTC+1 (e.g. 8-12 noon in Netherlands)

“The great gift of being heard and received”

– Bettina, a recent trainee

The need to be heard and responded to is fundamental to us as human beings. Yet many of us who work in mental health and social care services can easily recall times where those we have wished to help have left feeling unheard, disconnected and/or harmed.

Open Dialogue is an approach that originated in Western Lapland’s mental health service. Within this approach the system, philosophy and practice have been developed to complement and support the nurturing of dialogue between people in crisis situations.

It has gained an increasing following across the world, with proponents being excited by its outcomes and the way in which it complements ethical, trauma-informed and human rights-based ways of working.

In June 2021, Open Dialogue was recognised as an exemplar of good practice by the World Health Organisation. Its key principles and elements are being adapted in various mental health and social care settings around the world.

In a multi-cultural society where there is no single way of understanding the world and our experience of it, these dialogical ways of working can offer a structure for both respecting our differences and fostering the connections and resources needed to survive and grow in challenging times.

This is an invitation to …

  • Explore what it means to be ‘in dialogue’ with others and what this might offer in our lives and work
  • An embodied experience of dialogic relating – listening and responding to self and others in experiential exercises*
  • Learn more about dialogic approaches to mental health and social crises, and some of the different ways these have been implemented around the world.
  • An opportunity to connect with others, creating collaborative communities
  • A learning space where lived and professional voices and experiences are welcomed and can be explored

This online workshop combines presentations, practice examples, experiential exercises* and space for dialogue.

*This workshop invites participants to explore their own lived experience with each other in small group exercises. If you have any questions around what this entails, please contact us before booking.

From the beginning, we got the chance to really connect with the other participants. It’s really that connectedness for me that made the whole experience so special and meaningful. Everybody was so respectful and open, which for me created a very warm and safe space. This is what made the learning opportunities so great, as we could really practice and experiment with open dialogue together

– Ciska, a recent trainee

We welcome …

This workshop is suitable for anyone interested in using these ideas and practices to support others, including those engaged in nursing, psychology, psychiatry, peer support, community development work, social care, occupational therapy, counselling and more.

Please note, this is an English-language workshop.

Dates & Times

Option 1: 17 & 18 February 2022 (full days)
2-10pm GMT/UTC (e.g. 9-5pm in New York)

Option 2: 31 March, 1, 7 & 8 April 2022 (half days)
7-11am BST/UTC+1 (e.g. 8-12 noon in Netherlands)

You can use www.thetimezoneconverter.com to find out what time this relates to in your local area.

Fees

€275 Standard (attendees funded by statutory, commercial or large charities/NGOs)
Equivalent to: £230 / $311 USD / $434 AUD / $460 NZD

€175 Reduced (self-funding attendees, and those funded by smaller charities)
Equivalent to: £147 / $198 USD / $276 AUD / $293 NZD

A limited number of scholarships are available on a first-come first served basis.

Please read our terms and conditions before booking your place. This includes information around payment, cancellations, substitutions and refunds.