Here are a couple of extracts from a presentation by Prof. Jaakko Seikkula, developer in Finland of the ‘Open Dialogue’ approach to treating psychosis:
“Challenges for treatment of psychotic problems – early notions:
- Clients become not heard – neither the patient nor the family members
- Over-emphasis on inpatient treatment – patients disposed to others’ psychotic behavior (J. Cullberg)
- Over-emphasis on medication – may increase the risk for brain function and mortality
- Over-emphasis on pathologizing the problems – resources are not seen
Origins of open dialogue:
- Initiated in Finnish Western Lapland since early 1980’s
- Need-Adapted approach – Yrjö Alanen
- Integrating systemic family therapy and psychodynamic psychotherapy
- Treatment/therapy meeting 1984
- Systematic analysis of the approach since 1988 – ‘social action research’
- Systematic family therapy training for the entire staff – since 1989 …”
You can see the entire presentation – in pdf format – from here.
