Open Dialogue Meeting Iceland 2026

06/08/2026

The most valuable thing people take home from conferences isn't always what's on the slides.

Sometimes it's a conversation over coffee.

Sometimes it's meeting someone who changes how you think.

Sometimes it's realising you're not alone.

That's what Open Dialogue is about.

www.opendialogue.is

05/08/2026

This isn't just a conference.

It's a meeting place for people who believe mental health care can be more collaborative, more hopeful and more human.

Whether you're a clinician, researcher, student, family member or someone with lived experience...

You belong here.

www.opendialogue.is

04/08/2026

Every movement starts somewhere.

For Hugarafl, it started in 2003 when people with lived experience and professionals sat down together and imagined something different.

Today that conversation continues through Open Dialogue.

This August, that conversation comes to Iceland.

www.opendialogue.is

03/08/2026

What if the first step in mental health care wasn't an assessment...

What if it was simply listening?

Open Dialogue reminds us that every meaningful conversation begins with genuine curiosity.

Join us in Iceland as we explore a more human approach to mental health. www.opendialogue.is

31/07/2026

30/07/2026

HUGARAFL'S ROLE IN ICELAND
More than 20 years of creating change

Leading the way in:

• Recovery-oriented practice

• Peer support and empowerment

• Human rights in mental health

• Education and professional training

• Open Dialogue development

• Research and innovation

• Public advocacy

• International collaboration

Working every day for a more humane mental health system.

Proud hosts of Open Dialogue Iceland 2026

29/07/2026

Behind every strong organisation are people who inspire change.

Today we'd like to introduce two of the people you'll meet at Open Dialogue Iceland 2026: Auður Axelsdóttir and Grétar Björnsson.

Auður, an occupational therapist and one of Hugarafl's founders, has spent more than two decades helping to shape recovery-oriented and human rights-based mental health services in Iceland. She has also been instrumental in introducing and developing the Open Dialogue approach in Iceland.

Grétar, a sociologist, educator and recovery advocate, brings the invaluable perspective of lived experience. Through his teaching, writing and advocacy, he reminds us that recovery is not simply about reducing symptoms—it is about building a meaningful life filled with hope, connection and opportunity.

Together, Auður and Grétar reflect two forms of expertise that Hugarafl values equally: professional knowledge and lived experience.

But Hugarafl is much more than any one or two people.

It is a vibrant community of members, peer workers, professionals, volunteers, family members and partners who work side by side, learning from one another and believing that everyone's voice matters.

That spirit of equality, collaboration and dialogue is what makes Hugarafl unique—and it is the same spirit that will welcome you to Open Dialogue Iceland 2026.

We look forward to sharing not only an inspiring conference, but also the community that has grown around these shared values over the past two decades.

We can't wait to welcome you to Iceland.

www.opendialogue.is

28/07/2026

What Makes Hugarafl Different?

Every organisation has a story.

Hugarafl's story began over 20 years ago when people with lived experience and professionals came together with a shared vision: that mental health services could be more human, more hopeful and more collaborative.

That vision continues to guide everything we do.

What makes Hugarafl different isn't just what we do—it's how we do it.

Lived experience is expertise.
People with lived experience are not only participants in Hugarafl—they are leaders, educators, trainers, board members and colleagues. Their voices shape our work every day.

Relationships come first.
We believe recovery happens in relationships built on trust, respect and genuine dialogue—not in isolation.

Equality is a practice.
Professionals, peers, family members and service users meet as equal partners. Everyone brings valuable knowledge to the conversation.

We focus on strengths and possibilities.
Rather than asking, "What's wrong?" we ask, "What matters to you?" We believe every person has strengths, resources and the capacity for growth.

Recovery is real.
Recovery is about living a meaningful life, with hope, purpose and opportunities—not simply the absence of symptoms.

These are the values that led Hugarafl to embrace the Open Dialogue approach and why we are proud to host Open Dialogue Iceland 2026.

We look forward to welcoming colleagues, families, people with lived experience and friends from around the world to Hveragerði this August.

Together, we continue the conversation.

www.opendialogue.is

27/07/2026

Meet Your Host: Hugarafl – A Story of Hope, Recovery and Change

Every movement starts with a conversation.

Hugarafl was founded in 2003 by occupational therapist Auður Axelsdóttir together with four people with lived experience of mental health challenges. They shared a simple but powerful belief:

People are experts in their own lives.

At a time when lived experience was rarely recognised as expertise, Hugarafl chose a different path—one built on hope, empowerment, equality and recovery.

For more than two decades, Hugarafl has worked to transform mental health care in Iceland by creating spaces where people are listened to, valued and supported as equal partners.

Today, Hugarafl is recognised as one of Iceland's leading recovery organisations, bringing together people with lived experience, families, professionals, researchers and communities to create more humane and collaborative approaches to mental health.

It is therefore a natural home for Open Dialogue Iceland 2026.

Open Dialogue and Hugarafl share the same core values:

Every voice matters.

Relationships are central to recovery.

Hope grows through dialogue.

Better mental health care is something we create together.

We are proud to welcome participants from around the world to Iceland this August, and we look forward to sharing not only an inspiring conference—but the story of a movement that continues to believe in the power of listening.

🌐 www.opendialogue.is