The Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health (BALM) Sundram Fasteners Centre for Research and Social Action and Research, in collaboration with the University of Jyväskylä, will soon start a School for Open Dialogue - a holistic psychotherapeutic practice - in Chennai, according to a statement issued by BALM on Sunday.

Open Dialogue is a psychotherapeutic practice for persons with mental health issues that involve their families and other support networks. The primary treatment is carried out through meetings involving the patient together with his or her family members and extended social network. 11 Mental health professionals from The Banyan graduated as the very first Open Dialogue practitioners in India. There are a total of only 100 Open Dialogue practitioners globally, the statement said.

In its current structure, the basic course requires 260 hours of training and supervised practice. The statement said that the next course will be hosted by BALM in January by the trained mental health professionals, adding that research to measure the efficacy of this treatment approach will also be initiated alongside.