Speaking Fully, Listening Deeply. Encountering a New Self Through Voices From Behind. ~Practicing Equal and Horizontal Dialogue in a Safe, Non-Evaluative Space~
Non-Profit Organization Revalue Life will hold an experiential dialogue event in Kawagoe City using the Finnish Open Dialogue method. This event provides a safe, non-evaluative, and uninterrupted space for dialogue, creating an opportunity for participants to encounter new aspects of themselves.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 18:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 28, 2026 at 10:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 16:07 (6h 5m after Collected)
An experiential dialogue event where participants can speak their minds fully in a safe, "non-evaluative" and "uninterrupted" environment will be held in Kawagoe City. Based on the Open Dialogue method from Finland, the event offers three practical experiences as workshops: "speaking fully," "listening deeply," and "resonating." Through the unique experience of "reflecting," where participants listen "from behind" to how others received their voice without judgment or advice, they can encounter aspects of themselves they were previously unaware of. The previous event (April 26) saw half of the participants as first-timers, and the dialogue deepened, transforming tension into smiles. The event targets all those who aspire to equal dialogue, including professionals involved in interpersonal support such as welfare, medical care, and education.
**■ Background and Vision of the Event — Why is "Dialogue" So Difficult?**
The experience of "having someone listen" can be a great support to people. However, in daily conversations, we are often unknowingly evaluated, interrupted, and asked for advice or conclusions. In support settings, medical fields, and educational environments, many must have experienced how the intention to "listen" unknowingly turns into "trying to solve."
Non-Profit Organization Revalue Life has continually confronted the core of such "difficulty in dialogue" and has been organizing practical spaces based on the Open Dialogue method from Finland. No specialized knowledge or titles are required. This space is open to everyone with the will to "attempt dialogue."
**■ What are "Speaking Fully, Listening Deeply, and Resonating"?**
The name of this event directly expresses the three practices cherished in this space.
- 🗣️ **Speaking Fully**: An experience of articulating your thoughts completely in your own words, without interruption or evaluation. In such a safe environment, where "it's okay not to speak well" and "it's okay not to reach a conclusion," things that you normally couldn't express sometimes quietly flow out.
- 👂 **Listening Deeply**: A practice of simply listening to the other person's voice, setting aside evaluation and advice. When freed from the obligation to "say something back," people can truly "listen" for the first time. Listening is not about responding.
- 🌊 **Resonating**: We aim for a space where new meanings beyond prediction are born through the overlapping of diverse experiences. "Polyphony," which Open Dialogue values, is a dialogue space where each voice resonates as it is, rather than moving towards a single correct answer.
And at the core of this space is the experience of reflecting. Others who have listened to your story do not evaluate or advise but simply describe "what resonated within them." Then, you quietly listen to those voices "from behind." What is revealed there is another self, one you could never have met alone.
**■ Report on the Previous Event (April 26, 2026)**
The previous event, held on April 26, 2026, at Kawagoe Minami Community Center, had 7 participants. Nearly half were first-time attendees, and some appeared nervous during the check-in. However, as the listening work and talking circle progressed, smiles naturally increased, and a circle of dialogue where each voice quietly resonated expanded. Through the overlapping experiences of "speaking fully in a non-evaluative space" and "listening to others' voices from behind" through reflecting, each participant left the venue with new insights.
**■ Next Event Outline**
Date: May 10, 2026 (Sunday) 14:00〜17:00
Venue: Kawagoe Minami Community Center (Westa Kawagoe 1F) Lecture Room 2, 1-17-17 Shinjuku-cho, Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture
Access: Approx. 5 minutes walk from Kawagoe Station (JR / Tobu Tojo Line) West Exit
Participation Fee: 1,000 yen (Credit card / PayPal only. Other payment methods require consultation)
Capacity: 12 people (first-come, first-served basis; minimum number of participants required)
Target Audience: Those who aspire to equal dialogue / Professionals involved in interpersonal support such as welfare, medical care, and education
Application Deadline: May 9, 2026 (Saturday)
Application Method: Apply via the organization's website
Cancellation: Cancellation possible without a refund fee if notified 3 days before the event.
**■ Program on the Day**
1. Check-in: Greetings and time to share current feelings
2. Information Sharing: Confirmation of work procedures and important rules
3. Listening Work: Experience of listening to the other person's voice
4. Talking Circle: Sitting in a circle and listening to each other's voices
5. Reflecting: Experience of listening to others' voices from behind and encountering a new self
6. Closing: Reflecting on today's dialogue and quietly closing the session
**■ About the Facilitator**
A facilitator with qualifications as a social worker, mental health and welfare worker, and certified psychologist, who has completed Basic Course ① of dialogue practice training, will lead the session in an equal capacity.
**■ Background and Vision of the Event — Why is "Dialogue" So Difficult?**
The experience of "having someone listen" can be a great support to people. However, in daily conversations, we are often unknowingly evaluated, interrupted, and asked for advice or conclusions. In support settings, medical fields, and educational environments, many must have experienced how the intention to "listen" unknowingly turns into "trying to solve."
Non-Profit Organization Revalue Life has continually confronted the core of such "difficulty in dialogue" and has been organizing practical spaces based on the Open Dialogue method from Finland. No specialized knowledge or titles are required. This space is open to everyone with the will to "attempt dialogue."
**■ What are "Speaking Fully, Listening Deeply, and Resonating"?**
The name of this event directly expresses the three practices cherished in this space.
- 🗣️ **Speaking Fully**: An experience of articulating your thoughts completely in your own words, without interruption or evaluation. In such a safe environment, where "it's okay not to speak well" and "it's okay not to reach a conclusion," things that you normally couldn't express sometimes quietly flow out.
- 👂 **Listening Deeply**: A practice of simply listening to the other person's voice, setting aside evaluation and advice. When freed from the obligation to "say something back," people can truly "listen" for the first time. Listening is not about responding.
- 🌊 **Resonating**: We aim for a space where new meanings beyond prediction are born through the overlapping of diverse experiences. "Polyphony," which Open Dialogue values, is a dialogue space where each voice resonates as it is, rather than moving towards a single correct answer.
And at the core of this space is the experience of reflecting. Others who have listened to your story do not evaluate or advise but simply describe "what resonated within them." Then, you quietly listen to those voices "from behind." What is revealed there is another self, one you could never have met alone.
**■ Report on the Previous Event (April 26, 2026)**
The previous event, held on April 26, 2026, at Kawagoe Minami Community Center, had 7 participants. Nearly half were first-time attendees, and some appeared nervous during the check-in. However, as the listening work and talking circle progressed, smiles naturally increased, and a circle of dialogue where each voice quietly resonated expanded. Through the overlapping experiences of "speaking fully in a non-evaluative space" and "listening to others' voices from behind" through reflecting, each participant left the venue with new insights.
**■ Next Event Outline**
Date: May 10, 2026 (Sunday) 14:00〜17:00
Venue: Kawagoe Minami Community Center (Westa Kawagoe 1F) Lecture Room 2, 1-17-17 Shinjuku-cho, Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture
Access: Approx. 5 minutes walk from Kawagoe Station (JR / Tobu Tojo Line) West Exit
Participation Fee: 1,000 yen (Credit card / PayPal only. Other payment methods require consultation)
Capacity: 12 people (first-come, first-served basis; minimum number of participants required)
Target Audience: Those who aspire to equal dialogue / Professionals involved in interpersonal support such as welfare, medical care, and education
Application Deadline: May 9, 2026 (Saturday)
Application Method: Apply via the organization's website
Cancellation: Cancellation possible without a refund fee if notified 3 days before the event.
**■ Program on the Day**
1. Check-in: Greetings and time to share current feelings
2. Information Sharing: Confirmation of work procedures and important rules
3. Listening Work: Experience of listening to the other person's voice
4. Talking Circle: Sitting in a circle and listening to each other's voices
5. Reflecting: Experience of listening to others' voices from behind and encountering a new self
6. Closing: Reflecting on today's dialogue and quietly closing the session
**■ About the Facilitator**
A facilitator with qualifications as a social worker, mental health and welfare worker, and certified psychologist, who has completed Basic Course ① of dialogue practice training, will lead the session in an equal capacity.