Recently, the "Open Dialogue Approach" has been attracting much attention as a new method of intervention for acute psychosis. Open Dialogue was developed in Western Lapland (Finland) in the 1980s. It involves a consistent family/social network approach to care, in which the primary treatment is carried out through meetings involving the patient together with his or her family members and extended social network. Many schizophrenic patients are"cured"without medication or hospitalization using this method.
 In this paper, we give an overview of the theory and method of Open Dialogue, and report a case of chronic schizophrenia. In this case, we applied therapeutic intervention with an Open Dialogue-like method, and his symptom (auditory hallucination) was clearly improved. We focused on extracting a common language so he could describe his symptom and share his experience. In order to accomplish this, Open Dialogue is the most sophisticated method.
 According to Jaako Seikkula, one of the pioneers of this method, Open Dialogue is also effective for chronic schizophrenia, depression, PTSD, and other diseases. We are striving to extend the range of application of this method in Japan. The introduction of Open Dialogue may be a critical factor to facilitate the transition to community care in Japan.
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