Creating a Holding Space: Exploring Open Dialogue as a Therapeutic Foundation for Change
Pricing
Information
Date & Time
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Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
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Explain the core principles of Open Dialogue therapy and its focus on the relational and environmental context of individuals in treatment.
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Describe the process of creating a holding environment that balances clinician authority with curiosity and containment to support therapeutic growth.
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Identify how integrating Open Dialogue with community-based models, such as the PACT model, enhances long-term therapeutic outcomes and fosters lasting change.
Educational Goal
The educational goal of this workshop is to increase understanding of the therapeutic approach of Open Dialogue.
Description
Open Dialogue is a therapeutic approach that creates a holding environment for individuals, families, and their networks, focusing on psychological insecurities and fostering a sense of “holding.” Unlike traditional therapies that center on the individual in crisis, Open Dialogue emphasizes the relational environment, including family, the person’s experience, and the historical context of illness. This model reduces the “clinical gaze,” and dismantles therapeutic hierarchies, shifting the focus to shared understanding and mutual respect among all participants. The approach encourages a dynamic interaction where clinicians and family members engage in a dialogic process, promoting curiosity and empathy while reducing isolation. This presentation will explore the key aspects of Open Dialogue, highlighting its role in providing “holding” for individuals and their loved ones, especially in cases involving psychosis. Additionally, it will examine how combining Open Dialogue with the PACT model of community integration supports long-term, effective change. The presentation will discuss the balance between certainty, curiosity, and containment within the therapeutic process, illustrating how this approach fosters trust and transformation. Finally, the session will include an experiential exercise to deepen understanding of the Open Dialogue process, emphasizing the importance of truly listening and accepting individuals within the therapeutic space.
Target Audience
- Counselor
- Marriage & Family Therapist
- Psychologist
- Social Worker
- Substance Use Disorder Professionals
Presenters
Elizabeth is an LICSW who first earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Westfield State University in Ethnic and Gender Studies, followed by a Master’s Degree from Salem State University’s School of Social Work, in Salem, Massachusetts. Elizabeth completed field placements in a leadership position for a non-profit PACT team, as well as at a Community Crisis Team where she provided short term, solution-focused clinical intervention evaluations and placements for individuals in extreme states of mind.
Elizabeth joined the Ellenhorn team in November of 2018, following having worked as the lead clinician at a Department of Mental Health-funded public PACT program. In this position, she provided individualized therapy, guided by clinical interventions, evidenced-based practices, facilitated the recovery process and responded to the needs of the individual on a case-by-case basis. During her six years with that program she also served as the vocational specialist, and dual-diagnosis clinician. Her clinical experience in the field is diverse, also having worked for years with at-risk children/adolescents and their families suffering with mental health, domestic violence, and homelessness, through a Department of Children and Families-funded program.
Elizabeth believes building therapeutic alliances with individuals and their families are vital in the collaboration of creating effective interventions that promote recovery, rehabilitation, and growth in a community setting. Elizabeth is dedicated to learning and growth surrounding the importance of the connection between mind and body, in order to inform treatment interventions, and overall health.
Financially Sponsored By
- Ellenhorn