Dear ICDP colleagues, friends and supporters,
It is with great sadness that I inform you that our dear friend and ICDP founder, Professor Henning Rye passed away on the 1st of February 2025.
Henning was a towering figure in ICDP. He brought great insight and subtlety to our work, and was able to enlighten and guide a great many. He had used his professorship position and travel opportunities to spread awareness and promote the development of profoundly inclusive and sensitive approaches to care and education. He touched and inspired many of us in the ICDP world and outside it, introducing many of his students and university colleagues to the principles that are at the core of the ICDP vision.and mission. Karsten and Henning were possessed of a noble desire to translate psychological theories into a useful and meaningful practice that would make a difference to children’s worlds, and this was a sense in which the rest of us founders found resonance and ardent commitment to action worldwide. In my fond memories of Henning I shall always remember two aspects that manifested in our meetings from the very early days onwards, his immense knowledge and his great sense of humour, which brought us inspiration as well as fun and laughter over the years. Thank you Henning!
With kind regards from Nicoletta
Henning Rye: A Lifelong Dedication to Children’s Psychosocial Development and the Role of Parents
With sorrow, gratitude, and respect, we received the news of Henning Rye’s passing on February 1st. Sorrow because we lost a good colleague, mentor, and friend. Gratitude for everything he taught us, both professionally and personally. Respect for his dedication to children’s psychosocial development.
Henning, born in 1934, started as a teacher before he trained as a psychologist and earned a PhD in clinical child and adolescent psychiatry. He worked as the chief psychologist at Berg gård, became a professor at the Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, and later head of the Section for International Work at the Department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo. In 2016, he was awarded the King’s Medal of Merit for his work with children with special needs.
His collaboration with Karsten Hundeide led to the development of the International Child Development Programme (ICDP), a humanistic parenting guidance program that changed the perspective on children’s developmental possibilities. ICDP is used in Norway and over 40 other countries and has improved the quality of care for millions of children. Henning also extended these perspectives to all life stages, with a focus on dignified aging.
He had a long-term collaboration with the University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which stands as a monument to his international commitment, also involving countries such as Sweden, Portugal, and Palestine.
Henning and Karsten, along with a small international team, aimed to translate psychological theories into practical applications that could make a difference in children’s lives. This has inspired us who followed. We remember Henning’s warmth, knowledge, and sense of humor, which brought inspiration, laughter, and joy. Thank you, Henning, your life and work will continue to guide us for many years to come.
Ane-Marthe S. Skar and Nicoletta Armstrong, ICDP International, and Heidi W. Steel, ICDP Norway