The 7 principles of Open Dialogue—an approach to mental health care and crisis support developed in Finland in the 1980s—are divided into organizational features and conversational methods. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Organizational Principles

• Immediate help: Treatment begins quickly, with the first network meeting typically held within 24 hours of contact. [1]

• Social network perspective: Family members, friends, and other important people in the person's life are invited to join the meetings from the very beginning. [1]

• Flexibility and mobility: Services adapt to the patient's needs rather than forcing them into a clinic, holding meetings at the home, workplace, or wherever is most comfortable. [1]

• Responsibility: The first clinician contacted is responsible for arranging the initial meeting, and an integrated team takes collective charge of the care process. [1]

• Psychological continuity: The same therapeutic team stays with the patient and their network across both outpatient and inpatient settings. [1]

Conversational Methods

• Tolerance of uncertainty: Clinicians avoid making premature diagnoses, labels, or treatment decisions, instead staying comfortable with not knowing while the situation unfolds. [1, 2, 3]

• Dialogue and polyphony: The focus is on generating genuine conversation ("with-ness" rather than "about-ness"), allowing multiple different voices and viewpoints to be heard without trying to control or shut them down. [1, 2]