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Prakash Ellenhorn is a private psychosocial and psychiatric program in Arlington, MA, also offering evidence-based treatment for co-occurring substance misuse issues. Our best-practice multidisciplinary, mobile teams deliver individualized services to clients living in the community or in our residence, intensively supporting them in building connections and purpose in the real world.  
Dialogic Practice                                    Winter 2016
What is it and why does it work?  
Hear from the person who brought it to the U.S. and from Prakash Ellenhorn clinicians who are successfully using it with their clients.

Dear Colleague,
I'm excited that Prakash Ellenhorn is using Dialogic Practice in working with clients, their families and networks. Its goal is to get everyone's voice in the room in a respectful, non-judgmental manner.  At Prakash Ellenhorn, we see daily that the deeper truth of a situation is achieved by embracing many versions, and that this process brings all of us closer to a collaborative relationship.   
Sincerely,
 
Ross Ellenhorn, Ph.D., Co-founder
What is Dialogic Practice?  
Dr. Mary Olson 
The co-founder of the Institute fo
r Dialogic Practice,
explains...

"Dialogic Practice developed as clinicians worked with very severe psychiatric crises and conditions. The traditional clinical approach emphasizes the immediate eradication of symptoms. In contrast, Dialogic Practice stresses creating connection and a common language, always understanding a person in their social context. Because it aims for integration of many different points of view, solutions become collaborative, not top-down. It is not 'about' the person, but is a way of 'being with' them: All discussion and any decisions take place with everyone -- individual, family, friends -- present. As a result, the client acquires greater voice and agency, and is empowered.
 
The approach grew out of Open Dialogue, which started in the 1980s in the Western Lapland area of Finland, as an effort to prevent the chronification of extreme psychiatric states. The results were remarkable: Five years after their first break, 80 percent of people treated using Open Dialogue were working, studying or looking for work. They were productively engaged with life.

While in Finland, I was impressed and inspired by Open Dialogue. Back home, colleagues and I founded the Institute for Dialogic Practice in Haydenville, MA. Dr. Ross Ellenhorn took our very first training, conducted with the original Finnish developer, Jaakko Seikkula, Ph.D. Prakash Ellenhorn clinicians were in our second training. We are proud of them all!"


Our Doctors
using Dialogic Practice
Matt Bernstein, M.D.   Medical Director            
   
"There is a huge overlap between the principles of Dialogic Practice and what Prakash Ellenhorn is doing as a PACT program. Both are client-centered, very flexible and attuned to what the client needs at any moment. Another major common point is seeing the client as a social being, and using their social network as a source of strength for positive change."
"A client can seem psychotic 23 hours a day, but when they recognize that people are actually listening to them, they can find a clear, coherent voice that leads the team in the right direction."
Matt Bernstein, M.D., Medical Director
Our Clients and Families
using Dialogic Practice

"Our daughter realized we cared."
 Here, parents reflect on their family's experience of Dialogic Practice at Prakash Ellenhorn. Mother: "The facilitators dealt with our feelings, how we were all getting along, rather than handing our daughter a diagnosis. This was very helpful. Also, we were all part of the process. Our daughter could see we were coming from a place of care and concern -- not control." Father: "Because everyone had an equal voice, our daughter felt she was being heard. The non-judgmental milieu helped her come out with some brilliant insights into what was going on." Mother: "It gets everyone on the same page. Everyone benefits, not just the client."
"Dialogic Practice meshes with our approach at Prakash Ellenhorn. It helps people get back to their lives."
Teri Bryant, M.Ed, LMFT, Director of the Residence, Addiction Specialist,
Family Therapist
Our Clinicians 
How P.E. clinicians are using this practice
 
Aaron Carter, LICSW Individual, Couples and Family Therapist, Exercise Coach
"An element of Dialogic Practice is when the two facilitators [therapists]pause the meeting and reflect to one another about the conversation being had -- not behind closed doors, but with everyone listening. During this time, the family/network is not pressured to respond, which allows for space to listen, while hopefully opening up the dialogue to other perspectives and a greater level of understanding of one another."
_________________________________________________  

Teri Bryant. M.Ed, LMFT                    
Director of the Residence, Addiction Specialist, Family Therapist
 
"Many clients come in with very negative narratives. They've been stigmatized and shamed. Dialogic Practice shifts the narrative. It creates a space where the family can have conversations not just about 'Did you drink last night?' but about feelings and experiences often not articulated for years, like what made the client self-medicate with alcohol. This deeper sharing, with the client being heard and understood, creates real connection that helps the client move forward."  
 
Aaron, Teri, Dicla and Ross 
http://www.dialogicpractice.net/about/clinical-associates/#Boston
 
Dicla Circelli                    
Chief Operating Officer
 
"Clinicians using Dialogic Practice don't go in with the perspective that there's a problem with the person and the family system. Instead, the approach is very affirming of the family's strengths. We look at how they have gotten through things together. From this strength, comes a solution."
__________________________________________________________________ 
 
Erin Kane, R.N.              
Program Nurse
 
"Dialogic Practice gives the client and clinicians the ability to shed their labels and their roles. It brings everyone into the room as equals. As a result, the client can discover their voice, enhance their voice, and trust their voice. And we and the most important people in their lives can be with them through that whole process."


Global Perspective Radio Clip on Open Dialogue
This radio program below includes interviews with:
Jaakko Seikkula (co-developer of the Open Dialogue approach),
Flick Grey (Australian consumer academic training in Open Dialogue) and 
Anna Arabskyj (family member who has personal experience as a member of
Open Dialogue social network meetings). 
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/allinthemind/open-dialogue/7174084

Current Happenings at P.E. 

TOURS
:

We loved having visitors from McLean-3 East, Dawn Hynes from Hynes Recovery and Sally Sebastian from Timberline Knolls. 
If you are interested in meeting us in Arlington and learning first hand about our unique and effective approach please contact: Laurie Damsky at 800-515-9972  
ON THE ROAD:
 
Laurie Damsky
 
Laurie Damsky, Director of Admission and Outreach was out West visiting a number of people and programs, including CeDAR, Cirque Lodge, Living Well Transitions and Windhorse .  Laurie had the opportunity to go to the Nevada Psychopharmacology Conference in Las Vegas and had the chance to visit a number of national parks along the way as well!

 

Ed Levin 

Ed Levin, Director of Business Development was in California attending  the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) meeting in San Diego and visiting with placement consultants and clinicians in the Bay Area.  Next stop, Chicago on March 10-12 at the Summit For Clinical Excellence.