Our Company
Families Communicate Better When Someone Holds the Space
Open Atrium was founded on a simple premise: most family difficulties are not resolved through advice — they are softened through structured, attentive conversation.
Back to HomeOur Story
Where Open Atrium Began
Open Atrium came out of a specific observation. Families in Bangkok — multinational, multigenerational, with lives distributed across languages and time zones — often held important conversations under the worst possible conditions: during a hospital visit, at the edge of a property transaction, or in the middle of a dispute that had already been running for months.
The idea was straightforward: offer a quiet, structured setting where the same conversations could happen before the pressure built. Not a counselling room. Not a legal office. Something closer to a well-designed atrium — the kind of transitional space that belongs to everyone, lit from above, with room to pause.
The name reflects that intention. An atrium is a threshold. It is neither inside nor outside. It is where people gather before going somewhere together. That is what Open Atrium tries to be: a reliable place to gather, clarify, and prepare.
Since 2019, the practice has worked with families across Bangkok and the surrounding region. The work remains small by choice. Each programme receives close attention; the facilitation is not outsourced or delegated. What we offer is personal, and we want it to stay that way.
Mission
"To give families a calm, well-structured space to speak with one another — before decisions have to be made under pressure."
In Numbers
People
The Team
Sophie Chambers
Lead Facilitator
Sophie has worked in dialogue facilitation across Southeast Asia since 2015. She holds a postgraduate qualification in conflict communication and leads all Discovery Conversations and annual programmes.
Narisa Wattanaporn
Workshop Coordinator
Narisa coordinates the Listening Across Generations workshops and handles participant support. She is fluent in Thai and English and manages bilingual session logistics.
James Moreau
Records Organisation Specialist
James conducts the records-organisation visits within the annual programme. He has a background in information management and works methodically with families to build clear, accessible filing systems.
How We Work
Standards & Protocols
Confidentiality Agreement
All participants sign a mutual confidentiality agreement before any session begins. Nothing discussed inside the room is shared with third parties without explicit written consent.
Written Session Summaries
Every facilitated session concludes with a written summary sent only to the participants. Summaries reflect what was said — not interpreted or evaluated by the facilitator.
Facilitation Training
Lead facilitators hold recognised qualifications in dialogue facilitation and communication education. Continuing professional development is maintained through annual programme reviews.
Scope Boundaries
Open Atrium does not provide legal, financial, or psychological services. When sessions approach those areas, we say so clearly and refer families to the relevant professionals.
Data & Document Security
Digital records created during records-organisation visits are stored on encrypted systems, accessible only to the client family. Physical documents are never retained after sessions.
Programme Reviews
Annual programme clients receive a mid-year written review. This covers what has been covered, what remains, and whether any adjustments to the plan would be helpful.
Values & Approach
What Open Atrium Stands For
Family communication work in Bangkok sits in a particular cultural context. Many families here span multiple generations under one roof — or across several countries — and important decisions often involve people whose relationships carry decades of shared history. That history deserves careful handling.
Open Atrium does not presume to know what a family should decide. We hold the structure of conversations so that families can decide for themselves, with everyone present having had a genuine opportunity to speak and be heard. That is the core of what we do, and it does not change from one service format to another.
The records organisation component grew out of a practical observation: many Thai families hold household documents in ways that become difficult to navigate over time — particularly when a parent ages, moves, or when property matters arise. A well-organised family record is not a legal document. It is a practical tool, and it reduces stress considerably when it is needed most.
The group workshops — Listening Across Generations — draw on publicly available communication curricula rather than proprietary methodology. This is a deliberate choice. We do not wish to position facilitation as a proprietary service. The skills taught in the workshop are ones families can continue to use on their own, at home, without ongoing engagement with us.
We work in English. We understand that many families in Bangkok's international community speak English as a shared language even when their home languages differ. For families with Thai-speaking members, we discuss bilingual arrangements during the initial enquiry so that no one feels disadvantaged in a session.
The annual programme is priced to reflect a full year of involvement. It is not a subscription that renews automatically. At the end of each calendar year, families decide whether to continue, reduce, or conclude their engagement with Open Atrium. That choice belongs to them entirely.
Work With Us
A Conversation Costs Nothing to Start
If you would like to understand whether Open Atrium could be useful for your family, the Discovery Conversation is the right first step. One hour, no obligations, your reflections in writing afterwards.
Get in Touch