Conversation analysis of Open Dialogue meetings

One of the central principles of the Open Dialogue approach is "dialogism". Dialogism implicates a particular type of conversation allowing for the expression and hearing of multiple voices. There is little research on what characterises these dialogical conversations. I have been working on a PhD project investigating Open Dialogue interactions using Conversation Analysis. Conversation Analysis focuses on the normative expectations of conversation and how conversational structures achieve social actions. This research has revealed a number of conversational practices that are utilised by Open Dialogue therapists. These include a downgrading of the therapist's deontic authority when proposing reflections, downgrading epistemic authority when eliciting multiple stance positions, withholding agreement within reflections, and the various functions that are achieved by repeating the words of the prior speaker. This research shows how the theoretical principles of Open Dialogue can be manifested in actual practice as well as demonstrating different therapist techniques that have not previously been discussed. This research shows how therapists regularly orient to concerns about authority and design their talk to promote flexibility in client responses.