Jaakko Seikkula 

Jaakko is a professor of psychotherapy, emeritus. He has been involved in developing family and social network based practices in psychiatry with psychosis and other severe crises. Since early 80’s until 1998 he was a member of the team in Western Lapland in Finland for developing the comprehensive Open Dialogue approach, which Jaakko has been studying both concerning the processes of dialogues and the outcomes in treatment of acute psychosis. Lately he has focused on embodiment in dialogues. He is an author or co-author of 230 scientific articles and 12 books.

Robert Whitaker

Robert Whitaker is an American journalist and author who has won numerous awards as a journalist covering medicine and science, including the George Polk Award for Medical Writing and a National Association for Science Writers’ Award for best magazine article. In 1998, he co-wrote a series on psychiatric research for the Boston Globe that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. His first book, Mad in America, was named by Discover magazine as one of the best science books of 2002. Anatomy of an Epidemic won the 2010 Investigative Reporters and Editors book award for best investigative journalism. He is the publisher of madinamerica.com. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor (Adjunct) in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science.

Kari Valtanen

Valtanen is a child and adolescent psychiatrist, family therapy and open dialogue/dialogical practice trainer from north Finland, Kari has worked in Western-Lapland over 20 years, now training Open Dialogue internationally.

“Psychiatrists should be aware of their role as part of a team and avoid setting up a hierarchical position that can silence the dialogical and polyphonic culture of the team,” Valtanen writes. “To work dialogically and share responsibility over treatment processes, a democratic culture at the workplace is a prerequisite. The psychiatrist is in a pivotal role to establish and nurture this democratic atmosphere.” Mad in America

Mia Kurtti

Originally from Tornio in Western Lapland, Finland, where I have lived most of my life, northern nature is my home and inspiration. Nature, embodiment and land offer me a grounding in this world that relies on spoken language and shared mental concepts. I have always been interested in the fundamental questions of life, and dialogue is for me a way of being and exploring these questions, as well as relationships and environments, in a way that allows me to show up as a whole person to others.

Professionally, I am intrigued by the structural and complex dimensions of society and their impact on individuals, families, communities and the land. I have extensive experience working in public health and its specific conditions, including a leadership role in Western Lapland’s contribution to the World Health Organization`s Guidance on Community Mental Health Services “Promoting person-centred and rights-based approaches”. In 2022, I was awarded Family and Couple Therapist of the Year in Finland for achievements in developing dialogic mental health services in and for the collaboration with WHO. Open Dialogue as a model of care has been my main professional focus since the beginning of my career when I started working in the Western Lapland Mental Health Services over two decades ago.

In addition to my work in public health, I have spent over a decade training people worldwide in Open Dialogue and dialogic approaches. I am a psychiatric nurse MSc and during my career, I have worked in crisis services as a practitioner with individuals, families and networks and as a nurse manager in Western Lapland psychiatry.

As a trainer and supervisor in family and couple psychotherapy and Open Dialogue, I remain committed to advancing practices that allow for authentic, transformative connection and insights for systemic thinking.

Mie Leer

Moving Together Towards More Dialogical and Network-Oriented Practices Across Contexts On equality, dialogue, and direction in Aarhus, Denmark

Moving Together Towards More Dialogical and Network-Oriented Practices Across Contexts On equality, dialogue, and direction in Aarhus, Denmark I feel genuinely privileged to work with Open Dialogue in many possible – and at times seemingly impossible – ways. Since 2012, we in Aarhus have been engaged in developing, teaching, implementing, researching, supervising, and facilitating network meetings – together with citizens, their social networks, professionals, and leaders across contexts. What continues to move me is a shared curiosity: how can we move together – within ourselves, in our relationships, and within the organisations we are part of – towards more equal and dialogical encounters? I believe that everyone has both the possibility and the right to influence the direction of their own lives, in connection with those around them – if we are able to create the time and space this requires. Creating such spaces is an ongoing, collective practice. In this presentation, I will share reflections and lived experiences from our work in Aarhus: the movements, tensions, and small shifts that occur when we try to cultivate dialogical and network-oriented practices across organisational boundaries.

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. 

Grétar Björnsson

Grétar Björnsson is a trained sociologist who has focused his work on examining the experiences of users of mental health services and the recovery model in his research. He has compared this with the biomedical model in terms of users’ experiences and responses. Grétar currently works as an education and peer supporter  at Hugarafl, is a member of the organization’s board, and is involved in its day-to-day operations. Grétar has lived experience and often shares his experience. He has also served on various government committees related to mental health services and regularly teaches at the University of Iceland.

In his lecture, Grétar will discuss the recovery philosophy and its core values. He will provide an overview of his research on recovery and biomedical models and share his own lived experience of achieving full recovery from severe mental health challenges.