At FARA, we believe that meaningful change happens through relationships. Our training, consultancy and community programmes are grounded in the principles of Open Dialogue, Relational Practice, Peer Support, Trauma-Informed Practice and Compassionate Leadership.
Whether you are an individual looking to develop your practice, or an organisation seeking to create more relational, psychologically safe and inclusive cultures, we offer learning experiences that place dialogue, curiosity and human connection at the centre.
Open Dialogue is an internationally recognised approach that originated in Finland and has transformed the way many organisations think about mental health, crisis response, leadership and collaboration.
Rather than focusing solely on diagnosis or finding immediate solutions, Open Dialogue encourages people to slow down, listen deeply and create space for multiple perspectives. It values relationships, shared understanding and working alongside people rather than making decisions about them.
Its principles are increasingly being applied beyond healthcare into education, charities, community organisations, social care, leadership, coaching and workplace wellbeing.
Relational Practice recognises that people thrive when they feel heard, respected, included and connected.
Rather than asking, "What's wrong with you?", relational approaches encourage us to ask:
"What's happening now?"
"What matters to you?"
"How can we understand this together?"
These approaches strengthen communication, trust, psychological safety and collaborative working across teams, services and communities.
Peer Support recognises that lived and living experience is a valuable form of knowledge.
When people are supported by others who have navigated similar experiences, relationships become more equal, hope grows and new possibilities emerge.
At FARA, peer support is not about fixing people or giving advice. It is about creating spaces where people can listen, reflect, learn and grow alongside one another with dignity and mutual respect.
We offer flexible learning opportunities for:
Training can be delivered online, in person or as part of longer development programmes.
Our programmes can include:
Alongside training, FARA works with organisations to develop more relational ways of working.
We support organisations to:
Every organisation is different, so we work collaboratively to develop programmes that reflect your values, priorities and communities.
Our faculty brings together professionals, researchers, educators and people with lived and living experience.
Many of our trainers have contributed to national and international developments in Open Dialogue, Peer Supported Open Dialogue (POD), relational practice and recovery-oriented approaches.
We believe expertise comes from both professional knowledge and lived experience, creating learning environments that are compassionate, reflective and grounded in real-world practice.
Whether you're looking for individual training, organisational consultancy, bespoke workshops or collaborative research, we'd love to hear from you.
Together, we can create more relational, compassionate and inclusive ways of supporting women, girls, communities and organisations.
Get in touch to discuss your learning and development needs or explore how FARA can work alongside you.
The website should feel like a global women’s healing and education organisation. It should be warm and relational but also powerful, informed and change focused. The central message is that women and girls are more than their trauma.
FARA does not define women by what happened to them — it supports them to reclaim identity, dignity, voice and future.
Charity registration pending – currently applying for registration with the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
© 2026 FARA Gatherings UK – Faculty of Alternative and Relational Approaches. All rights reserved.
