Eikholt Conference 2022 with a focus on mental health

It's no coincidence that this year's conference focuses on mental health. We have been, and are, in a period of pandemic. Many people have realised that this is tough. In addition, we at Eikholt have worked consciously with the topic of mental health. We recognise that strengthening mental health to meet the challenges of everyday life is particularly important for people with combined visual and hearing impairment and their families. Good mental health is also important for learning.

The Eikholt conference will showcase some of the research that has been done in this area, and provide insight into how we can work to strengthen mental health from different perspectives.

Program

The programme is ready. We guarantee a conference with many good presentations. There is a lot to look forward to. The conference has a Nordic language and will be interpreted. Download the programme here:

Programme Eikholt conference 24-25 August 2022 (PDF format)

Participation on both days gives 9.5 continuing education points with the Norwegian Association of Opticians (NOFEP).

Speakers

We are very pleased to present this year's speakers for the Eikholt conference. Below you can read about the individual speakers and what you will hear about at the conference. You can also download the speaker presentations here:

Presentation of speakers Eikholt Conference 2022

Anne Kristine Bergem 

Anne Kristine Bergem is a doctor and specialist in psychiatry. She is a trained group therapist and has a master's degree in management. She has many years of experience as a clinician and manager in mental health care. She now works as a specialist advisor at the Relatives' Centre, in addition to holding a part-time position at OsloMet and the Norwegian Psychiatric Association. Anne Kristine will talk about the work they do at the Relatives' Centre and the topic "The meaning of touch".

Knut Brumoen

Knut Brumoen is 67 years old, well married and the father of two daughters. He lives in Olstadgrenda, in Vestre Gausdal. Knut is currently retired, but graduated from the vocational school in Lillehammer and started his career as a car mechanic at Volvo in Ålesund. Knut took over the farming rights to the family farm in Vestre Gausdal and has been the village churchwarden, fireman and seagull truck driver. Knut will give a presentation on how life with the combined sensory loss has turned out. His title is "How to keep your spirits up after tough news from the doctor"

Grete A. Steigen

Grete A. Steigen is 60 years old, mother and guardian to Tormod who is 38 years old. She lives in Sømådalen in Engerdal. Grete trained as an agronomist and teacher, is a farmer and has also run Johnsgård Tourist Centre. Today she works at Diamanten School for pupils with deafblindness in Oslo. Grete will give a presentation with a close personal perspective. Her title is "How to take care of myself when I'm a carer". 

Nina Jakhelln Caustic solutions

Nina Jakhelln Laugen is a specialist in clinical community psychology and has a PhD in psychology. She has extensive experience of working with children with hearing impairment, both clinically and in research, and is interested in early intervention for this group. Other interests include emotional understanding, developmental psychology, preschool age, therapist development and psychometrics. She now works as Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences at NTNU. At the conference she will talk about "How hearing loss affects mental health and emotional understanding in children".

Per Anders Nordengen

Per Anders Nordengen is a pastor, speaker, author and counsellor. Nordengen trained as a theologian and worked as a priest for many years in both Norway and South Africa. He was a priest in a coloured congregation in South Africa from 1985 to 1987, during some of the worst years in the modern history of apartheid. His time in South Africa and his involvement in the fight against apartheid have taught Nordengen something about what hopes, visions, dreams and commitment can lead to. Many years in the church and in business have given Per Anders Nordengen good experiences for people in different life situations. The theme of the conference is "How to make the best of life as it has become?" 

Audun Brunes

Audun Brunes is an epidemiologist with a PhD in Health Science from NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) and works as a special advisor at the Department of Public Health in Oslo Municipality. For over 10 years, he has researched health and living conditions among people with sensory loss, with a particular focus on the blind and visually impaired, where his research became an important contribution to the establishment of a specialist health service for the visually impaired in mental health care in 2021. At the conference, he will talk about "Mental health among the visually impaired: Coping with the challenges of everyday life more important than major disasters and accidents".

Viljar Aasan

Viljar Aasan has a master's degree in rehabilitation and is planning further research and a PhD programme. He has worked at Beitostølen Health Sports Centre since 2005. First as a sports educator, and for the past 6 years as a specialist manager for assistive devices. He is responsible for coordinating between patients, NAV, first-line services, suppliers and other relevant partners in order to contribute with innovation and development of activity aids. Viljar has extensive experience in organising activities for everyone, and is committed to Physical activity as "medicine" to improve your healthboth physically and mentally. This is what he will present to us at the conference.

Kari Fretheim

Kari Fretheim has worked in the recession at Eikholt for a number of years. She is the voice and face that many people have come to know, either through phone calls and emails, or as a guest at Eikholt. Kari and those who work in the kitchen, with cleaning and maintenance at Eikholt, have important functions in the psychosocial work. They help to lay the foundation for well-being and security during the stay, and with it learning in the courses. In her presentation, Kari will talk about this work, which is part of the Eikholt model. Wellbeing and security, what Eikholt does to create a good framework for learning is the title of her post.

Line Austrud-Hjelle

Line Austrud-Hjelle is educated in music, health and music therapy, and has been employed for several years at Dissimilis' national centre of expertise. Dissimilis works to ensure that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have a place in the cultural landscape and in society as equal performers and human beings. Austrud-Hjelle has previously held music and health courses in collaboration with Eikholt, Signo School and Resource Centre and the Red Cross, and has given lectures in various contexts for Dissimilis. At the conference, she will talk about the possible significance of music for increased quality of life under the theme "There is something in all of us". Dissimilarity student Stian Berntsen will contribute musically together with Elise Holtan Valseth and Austrud-Hjelle.

Ragnhild Bang Nes

Ragnhild Bang Nes is a psychologist and senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, and associate professor at the University of Oslo. For a number of years, she has researched and written about what gives us joy in everyday life. She is active in her communication, through lectures, book publishing, articles and podcasts. At the conference she will present "five a day" for increased everyday happiness and better quality of life. The five steps for increasing everyday happiness are based on a review of 400 research reports carried out by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) in England in 2009.

If you have any practical questions about the conference, please contact us by email: post@eikholt.no or telephone: 32 88 90 50 or 45 61 44 04

If you have any questions about the programme, send an email to tanja.teigum@eikholt.no