Jaakko Seikkula

Jaakko Seikkula is a Finnish psychologist and researcher known for his work in mental health treatment. He developed a model called Open Dialogue, which emphasizes open communication, collaboration, and immediate support for people experiencing mental health crises, particularly psychosis. Instead of traditional hospital approaches, Open Dialogue involves the person's social network—family, friends, and community—in therapy, fostering trust and understanding. Seikkula’s approach has been shown to reduce hospitalization rates and improve long-term outcomes, highlighting the importance of a compassionate, inclusive, and dialogic approach in mental health care.