Transformation of professional identity: an exploration of psychologists and psychiatrists implementing Open Dialogue

This study explored how psychologists and psychiatrists working in Australian youth mental health services constructed their professional identity, and whether and how implementing Open Dialogue transformed this. Nine clinicians (psychologists, clinical psychologists and psychiatrists) were interviewed after completing Open Dialogue training. Interviews were subjected to discourse analysis. First, two general pre‐existing discursive professional identity positions were constructed: (i) psychiatrists rhetorically distancing themselves from the medical model as ‘fixers’ of mental illness; and (ii) psychologists and psychiatrists rhetorically embracing their personal identity. Second , participants’ responses about implementing Open Dialogue revealed opportunities and discomforts, including: (i) dialogical approaches offering psychiatrists an alternative identity to ‘fixers’; and (ii) dialogical approaches generating discomfort at the risk of exposing participants’ own vulnerability. Participants’ professional identities comprised contrasting positions. Practitioner points Clinicians’ professional identities comprised contrasting positions Clinicians constructed their professional identities by othering themselves from perceived dominant professional paradigms Clinicians incorporated dialogical approaches into existing clinical work after being exposed to Open Dialogue Clinicians identified Open Dialogue as offering opportunities to construct alternative professional identities Clinicians appeared uncomfortable with dialogical approaches in situations of high risk within risk‐averse settings