Because of Mary Olson’s background in family therapy, she was naturally drawn to Open Dialogue, the innovative approach to psychological crises started in Northern Finland. Developed in the 1980s, Open Dialogue emphasizes early intervention, deep listening and an emphasis on involving the patient’s social network in the healing process. If appropriate, parents, partners/spouses, family, best friends and employers gather in the healing sessions to openly share their thoughts and emotions. Open Dialogue does use traditional methods of psychiatry including medication, but very conservatively, and only as an adjunct to human, dialogical interaction and meaning making.
In Finland after 5 years (1992-1997) of Open Dialogue treatment, 81 percent of participants had no remaining psychotic symptoms and were able to resume full employment. In the US and the UK that percentage is between 20 and 30 percent.
Mary Olsen brought the Open Dialogue approach to Western Massachusetts by founding the Institute for Dialogic Practice in 2011 The three-year training program moved to New York City in 2017.
