Conference Agenda

This presentation proposes a theoretical and experiential workshop grounded in the Dialogical Self Theory of Hubert Hermans and Els Hermans-Konopka, aiming to strengthen the competencies of mental health professionals working with parents in contexts of transition, crisis, or “deadness”—that is, periods of psychological stagnation, disorganization, or existential discontinuity.

Dialogical Self Theory conceptualizes identity as a dynamic, polyphonic system of “I-positions” that engage in dialogue, conflict, or mutual support. Within the field of parenthood, internal voices (“the adequate parent,” “the guilty parent,” “the child I once was,” “the voice of society”) are often intensified during times of crisis (adolescence of a child, diagnosis, loss, divorce, migration experience). “Deadness” here is understood as the suspension of internal dialogue or the dominance of rigid, monological narratives that restrict the capacity for transition and transformation.

The aims of the workshop are:

• To understand parental identity as polyphonic and evolving.

• To develop skills in reflective listening and dialogical intervention.

• To enhance professionals’ ability to identify dominant and marginalized “voices” in parents’ discourse.

• To cultivate practices that facilitate the transition from monological to dialogical narratives.

Methodologically, the workshop includes brief experiential exercises in mapping I-positions, reflective group processes, case studies, and the application of dialogical questioning in scenarios of parental difficulty. Particular emphasis is placed on the concepts of the “meta-position” and the “third position” as spaces of internal mediation and creative re-authoring.

The proposed framework responds to contemporary needs in community and family mental health by fostering a culture of dialogue, polyphony, and inclusion. Empowering professionals to work within the “meeting of worlds”—those of the parent, the child, and the therapist—constitutes a critical factor for sustainable interventions and for promoting family resilience.