Network for Dialogical Practices is an open space for the community of students, researches and practitioners – be it psychotherapists and psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists and nurses, teachers or mediators.
Our aim is to…
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Explain what is Dialogical Practice in a way that is easily understood.
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Help people to do the first steps to a more dialogical way of working.
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Show specific applications of dialogical approach in real practice.
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Make ideas sharing easier. Give everyone a chance to write an article about their work and thoughts.
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Let you know about latest news so that you don’t miss anything.
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Inform about events all over Europe. And help you invite participants to join your events, too.
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Help people interested in the Dialogical Practices connect with one another. Create space for them to join a constructive dialogue both online and in person.
Network’s story
The European Network for open dialogical practices started in 2008 to care for the legacy of Tom Andersen, Gianfranco Cecchin and Michael White who all passed away shortly one after another and to preserve their voices for the future generations.
Peter Rober and John Shotter invited Jaakko Seikkula, Jim Wilson and Justine van Lawick to become a part of the Network. They participated in six summer schools, supported the organization of three European / international conferences and they were invited to many countries to lead workshops and presentations to spread the ideas and practices of the open dialogue. Articles and books were written. Because they did not want to create another association they decided to create a foundation in the Netherlands with the board and own website.
Jim Wilson, United Kingdom
UKCP registered systemic psychotherapist. He works as a consultant, trainer and supervisor to mental health and social care services nationally and internationally and is currently working in the National Health Service in Wales, UK. His seminars, workshops, and conference presentations are dedicated to exploring creativity in social-relational practices, the political context of mental health services, and the promotion of psychological therapies and social care practices as a process of mutual humanization.
Peter Rober, Belgium
Full Professor in Clinical Psychology at the Institute for Family and Sexuality Studies, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leuven (Belgium). He is responsible for Context – Center of Marital and Family Therapy at UPC KU Leuven. He coordinates the Postgraduate Training in Marital and Family Therapy (KU Leuven). Prof. Rober’s primary research interests focus on family therapy with children, on the therapy process, and secrecy in families. Peter Rober is author of several articles in international family therapy journals and presented on numerous international conferences on family therapy with children and adolescents.
Justine van Lawick, Netherlands
Clinical psychologist, family therapist and director of training in the Lorentzhuis, center for systemic therapy, training and consultation in Haarlem, the Netherlands. She is a senior trainer in the Netherlands and abroad.
Her areas of interest focus on addressing violent behavior and demonization in couples, couple groups and families with compassion for all involved family members and without blaming. Her latest project addresses multi-family work with fighting divorced parents and their children. Another area of interest is working with marginalized families. Finding power and vitality in the middle of tragedy is in the center of her work.
Jaakko Seikkula, Finland
A professor of psychotherapy at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland who is best known for his work with Finnish Open Dialogue. He speaks about the value of engaging social networks in crisis situations, the development of the Finnish Open Dialogue approach, the idea that there is meaning behind psychosis, and some unexpected benefits in Western Lapland of including family members in therapy with people experiencing psychosis.
Help us create the community
You probably know it from your own work:
We can only create space for the dialogue but we need real people for the real connections.
Share your experience and join the dialogue:
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Send us an article. Write about your thoughts and ideas, your latest research, your work.
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Share a case study or an example of your conversation with clients so that you can inspire others and help them understand the dialogical practice.
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Let us know about an event you are organizing so that more participants can find you and the website is still up-to-date.
Related staff
Pavel Nepustil
Petra Detersová
Jim Wilson
Jaakko Seikkula
Justine Van Lawick
