The Power of Dialogue: From Bach’s Fugue to Open Dialogue

What if every conversation could be an “Open dialogue”, as it should be.
All it means is an honest, respectful, nonjudgmental conversation with a good to build better relationships. Surely that should be what all conversations are alike. Let’s purpose to be a dialog master of the universe, and beyond.

The other day, I went to a concert with two clients and a pianist who used to be a client. This time, it was Bach’s famous “Goldberg Variations” known for its fugue. Fugue refers to a form in which several independent parts are played simultaneously, with a recurring melody (theme) appearing within them.

We always write our impressions on our respective blogs by the next day and share our emotions. So, the afterglow lingers. The impressions this time were particularly interesting as they were depicted from different perspectives.

I then sent our impressions to the pianist, who replied that it would be nice to do a pre-recital sometime. I became the liaison, and it became a fugal exchange, an indirect dialogue, but repeated about the same subject matter. I thought to myself, “This is a unique world,” as the dialogue occurred spontaneously in this way.

Recently, I came across a tool called “Open Dialogue” on YouTube, which is related to “dialogue.” According to ChatGPT, “Open Dialogue is a therapeutic approach originated in Finland, used to support individuals with mental health issues and their families. Open Dialogue involves open and comprehensive dialogues among patients, families, and professionals. Information is actively shared, and all participants are encouraged to freely express their opinions and emotions.”

In Open Dialogue, dialogue is conducted in a group rather than the usual a one-on-one setting, and it has produced positive effects. It is very similar to the public sessions within the 1D1U Camp that I operate.

In the initial live sessions, everyone was very nervous. When I asked, “Would anyone like to do a live session?” very few raised their hands. It started from there, and we are now approaching the 250th session. Why did everyone become actively involved in live sessions?

After the public sessions, there are words of approval and lively comments with new ideas from the viewers. It is a scene that cannot occur in one-on-one sessions. My feedback aims to maintain fairness and neutrality, but feedback from fellow participants is warm, celebrating together, sympathizing, and encouraging.

In addition, we often find that other people’s problems have a lot in common with our own, and we can find possibilities and ideas for improvement within ourselves. Some people also say that they learn a lot from the way I listen to them. This is the advantage of my open dialogue.

Although dialogue is nothing but beneficial, it is often seen as something necessary only when there are problems. According to statistics, 42% of Americans have consulted a counselor, while in Japan, it is only 6%.

I wanted to change that culture, so I decided to add a free 20-minute session to every 1D1U Camp. It becomes an opportunity for people to be listened to, even if they don’t have a problem, it becomes a place to simply talk about what they want to talk about now. Surprisingly, that becomes a liaison to a better future and fewer problems for the future. It’s still a small world, but I changed Japan.

Open Dialogue may be necessary even among people who don’t have specific problems or concerns. It made me think that increasing people who can play a liaison role and facilitate such open dialogue may be part of my role.