We are thrilled to congratulate several members of the HGI community on engagements. Deniece Christ and Jeff Rice will marry in December 2003, and Laura McPherson and Jim Spurgeon will be married in September 2004.

Ethics Workshop Scheduled

Sue Levin has organized an Ethics workshop for Friday, October 17, from 9am-12noon. The workshop is participatory, so you are welcome to bring in your clinical, personal, and business-based dilemmas. Contact our office for registration information.

Harlene Anderson's Scandinavian Tour

I just returned from a three week trip to Sweden, Finland, and Norway [in September]. First stop was Skelleftea, in northern Sweden, where Tom Andersen and I spent two days with family therapy supervisors and trainers hosted by Matz Sparrmann, Leif Eriksen, and Bo Lundblad. After a seminar day with a family therapy program I traveled by car with race drivers Matz and Bo to Tornio, Finland to participate in the Eighth Open Dialogue Conference: What is Helpful in Treatment Dialogue? I presented an essay on "Listening, Hearing and Speaking." The exciting thing about the conference, hosted by the Keropudas Hospital group, was that participants from various countries mostly came as teams who were working with psychosis from an "open dialogue" approach. Impressively, twelve teams had research projects and time was devoted to hearing about the projects and discussions on qualitative and quantitative research. Tom Andersen, Anders Lindseth, and John Shotter sparked the research conversations.

Next stop was Bergen, Norway where I was hosted by Tor Fjeldstad who had invited me for an open community seminar, a seminar with an advanced family therapy training program and a supervision course at the University of Bergen. She then spent two days filled with conversations with Gerdt-Henrik and Ann-Louise Vedeler (visitors at HGI) and Anne Hedvig Vedeler who is studying family therapy in London. Then on to Oslo, Norway where I conducted seminars for two family therapy programs and hosts Anne-Grete, Rolf, Geir, Hege, Morton and Bjorg.

At each stop, participants had thought provoking questions and interesting work that they volunteered for consultations and a variety of "as if" exercises. So, I return with many fond memories, reconnections, new colleagues, and renewed energy. I bring many warm hellos to the folks at HGI and expressions of appreciation for HGI's continuing to share news and events via the newsletter. I look forward to future trips and connections.