About the Host
Hugarafl is a peer-run NGO based in Reykjavík, Iceland, dedicated to supporting recovery, empowerment, and meaningful participation in society.
At Hugarafl, lived experience is at the center. We believe that people who have faced mental health challenges hold valuable knowledge — not only about suffering, but about healing, resilience, and transformation. This knowledge deserves space, respect, and a voice. At Hugarafl professionals and peers work side by side, meeting as equals.
Our work is grounded in connection. We create spaces where people can meet as equals, share their stories, and support one another in building a life with meaning, dignity, and hope.
Hugarafl operates through peer support, group work, education, and community engagement.
We emphasize:
- human rights
- empowerment
- recovery-oriented approaches
- and the importance of belonging
We are part of a growing movement that sees recovery not as a fixed outcome, but as an ongoing, deeply personal process.
Auður Axelsdóttir
Auður is an occupational therapist from Reykjavík, Iceland. She is the director of Hugarafl. Auður founded Hugarafl in 2003 along with four individuals with lived experience, with the aim of changing the way that the mental health system functions in Iceland.
Hugarafl works on the principles of empowerment and recovery, with the goal of influencing the system with their experience. The PACE model (developed by Daniel B. Fisher, MD, PhD, and Laurie Ahern) is used in their work, along with the working definition of “Empowerment” by Judy Chamberlin. Auður is a trainer in eCPR and in Open Dialogue. She was honored by the president of Iceland in 2017 for her work in the mental health field.
Why we are Hosting this Meeting
The Open Dialogue Meeting is an extension of our core values.
We believe in creating spaces where professionals, peers, and communities can come together — not in hierarchy, but in dialogue.
By hosting this gathering in Iceland, we invite participants into a setting that reflects both nature and reflection, openness and depth. Our intention is to support meaningful conversations that can inspire change — both within systems and within ourselves.
Our Vision
We envision a world where:
- lived experience is recognized as expertise
- support is based on mutual respect and human connection
- systems are shaped with, not for, the people they serve
Hugarafl is committed to contributing to this transformation — locally and internationally.
