Diploma

Indico Institute’s Higher Diploma in Dialogic & Co-creative Practices

Course Overview:

We are so excited to invite you to our three year training bringing together the best of traditional Open Dialogue trainings while pioneering new perspectives and voices.

We are delighted to say our second Higher Diploma Course starting in November 2026 is now open for applications. Our first course began in September 2025. Please note that our policy is to allocate places as we accept applications, therefore we encourage you to apply sooner to avoid disappointment.

The Indico Institute’s Higher Diploma is aligned with the current international standard of Open Dialogue and Dialogic Practice trainings.

As directors of the institute, we aim to honour and expand the tradition of Open Dialogue training we have developed and delivered over many years, and evolve these to meet contemporary challenges.

Read more about our approach »

The Higher Diploma is influenced by our special interests in human rights based organisation and policy, embodiment & trauma specific work, dialogic leadership & ethics, the importance and offerings of inner polyphony, and eco-dialogical perspectives.

The training is a unique course offered 50/50 online and in-person over three years. Time commitment is 60 days of attendance in total (20 days per year). plus study and practice hours.

This hybrid structure provides maximum flexibility and accessibility for those attending, allowing us to meet on a monthly basis for context specific support. It was also important to us to arrange the opportunity to meet face-to-face in carefully chosen, meaningful European venues, including Ireland, Greece and Finland.

Training will be led by us and invited dialogue partners of lived and dialogic experience. The course focuses on dialogic, experiential and reflective practices as a method for learning. You will be invited to bring your voice and expertise to co-creating elements of the course alongside us.

Training will incorporate the following modules:

Theory & Practice

Deep and experiential engagement with dialogical and co-creative theory and practice. This will include working with invited dialogue partners, bringing voices from core and connected approaches.

Relational Self & Networks

Small group exploration of one’s personal relational histories and present, giving space and reflection to the voices within that shape the relationships and practice.

Reflective Practice & Supervision

Small group exploration of the practical and relational dynamics between participants and the individuals, families and networks they work with, as well as the organisations and broader contexts in which they operate.

Community of practice

Networks of practice and learning amongst participants, encouraging ongoing co-creations, peer learning and professional collaborations.

You will have the opportunity to specialize in one of the areas listed below. This choice will reflect your own specific context and needs and will affect your practice hours, the context of supervision, and the focus of your final projects.

Specialisations available:

  • Advanced Dialogic & Co-creative Practice (Open Dialogue)

    This stream is an ideal pathway to deepen your relational practice, to integrate dialogic and co-creative ideas or to innovate further in an area of complexity and challenge. This will include opportunities to explore both network, group and individual modalities for dialogic and collaborative work.

    Criteria for certification Advanced Practice:
    • 300 dialogical practice or open dialogue hours
      (please note we use the international standard for accrediting hours, so 45 minutes meeting counts as one hour)
    • Satisfactory attendance at the course & completion of course requirements
    • Final project focusing on advanced practice (group & individual)

  • Trainer and Supervisor

    This path is for you if you wish to achieve the the Trainer/Supervisor qualification in Dialogic and Co-Creative practice or Open Dialogue. Alongside deepening your own dialogic practice, you will be supported and supervised in dialogic and co-creative/open dialogue training and supervision. As part of your training, we hope to facilitate opportunities for you to work alongside us in short trainings within our institute.

    Note that there are specific practice hour requirements you will need to achieve for these qualifications.

    Criteria for certification Trainer/Supervisor:
    • 350 dialogical practice or open dialogue hours
      (150 hours previous experience can be counted towards this)
    • 100 hours dialogical or OD training or supervision practice
      (please note we use the international standard for accrediting hours, so 45 minutes meeting counts as one hour)
    • Satisfactory attendance at the course & completion of course requirements
    • Final project focusing on training or supervision (group & individual)

  • Dialogic Leadership

    This path will support you in developing dialogic leadership skills and co-creative management practices – ideal for you if you are in a leadership role and/or supporting organisational change processes. The pathway is also to support those responsible for developing or implementing dialogical practices or (eg) an Open Dialogue service within your organisation.

    Criteria for certification Dialogical Leadership:
    • 300 dialogical practice/ open dialogue hours to include minimum 150 hours dialogical leadership/organisational meetings
      (please note we use the international standard for accrediting hours, so 45 minutes meeting counts as one hour)
    • Satisfactory attendance at the course & completion of course requirements
    • Final project focussing on dialogical leadership (group & individual)

Not sure which stream might be right for you?

You won’t be required to choose your specialisation until late in your first year but feel free to reach out to us anytime to discuss your context and requirements.

Apply here »

Testimonials:

Learning to talk has changed my life greatly since then. One concrete example is that when I meet someone with a different opinion in my daily life, I can now feel that it is the beginning. This feeling is common in both work and private life. Even if there is conflict, we should be grateful that we have been able to know the differences between us. If we want to know the other person more deeply and maintain respect, we should be grateful for the differences and start a careful dialogue from there. We should be honest about our differences and acknowledge each other’s differences, but we should never rush to reach an agreement, force a conclusion, or even prove that one side is right. By making this my base of myself, my relationships with others, the way I work, and my relationships with my family have changed dramatically. When I encounter a difficult communication situation, I first take a deep breath and make sure I am in the situation, and this has helped me to escape the worries of my own mental ups and downs. We cannot live alone, and we are always surrounded by other people. Sometimes this can be bothersome and a source of worry, but now I no longer fear it. Wherever there are people, there are always thoughts, and if these thoughts are spoken of and treated with care, something can be born between people. I am happy to have come to believe this.
Miwako, a Japanese trainee of Open Dialogue
The Open Dialogue training was a journey of diving into my inner self and constantly encountering the Self, even when I did not want to see myself. The process continues in my daily life and the encounters continue to take place in the space between me and the other people in front of me. And it has been a wonderful experience to rediscover that I live in a world with many people with whom I could potentially resonate.
Naoko, Japan