Talking with Voices-Learning from the Dialogue

Talking with Voices-Learning from the Dialogue Facilitators: Rufus May and Elisabeth Svanholmer 6 & 7 October 2016 School of Nursing and Midwifery University College Cork

A 2-day workshop for people who have undertaken previous hearing voices training and who wish to develop their knowledge and skills in dialoguing with voices. This workshop is for mental health nurses, mental health workers, people who hear voices and their supporters.

People who hear distressing voices can be entangled in repressing dialogues with their voices that limit their lives. There is increasing interest in using dialoguing skills to help people who hear voices. Talking to the voices is a technique that enhances a more fruitful relationship between the voices and the voice hearer. This work is inspired by Voice Dialogue, a method developed by Hal and Sidra Stone. In this workshop the framework will be explained. The technique and attitude necessary for speaking with the voices will be demonstrated and participants will have the opportunity to practice the techniques. Indications and contraindications will be discussed and examples will be given that clarify the potentials of this approach. The workshop will include: mapping out the voices people are hearing; voice dialogue understandings that everybody has different parts or sub-personalities; dialoguing as a self-help tool; using compassionate communication skills; how to dialogue with someone else's voices; deciding whether or not to use the dialoguing technique; grounding strategies; creative ways to dialogue with voices.

Rufus May has worked as a clinical psychologist in adult mental health services for 19 years. He provides training and consultancy in recovery and integrative based approach to psychosis and other mental health problems. He has an international reputation for training people in holistic and recovery based approaches to mental health problems, having carried out work in the United States, Australia, Canada, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Norway and Holland. His interest in psychological approaches to psychosis and recovery is rooted in his own experiences of psychosis and recovery in his late teens. He has written a number of articles and book chapters and his work was featured in the English Channel 4 documentary 'The Doctor who hears voices'. Rufus also has an interest in mindfulness, voice dialogue approaches, conflict resolution communication skills and community development approaches including developing self-help networks. Elisabeth Svanholmer has worked since 2006 as a Danish Hearing Voices Network trainer and facilitator. Her recovery journey has inspired her to use her own experiences of living with voices and other unusual experiences to help others. Elisabeth is passionate about facilitating creative, supportive spaces for people to talk about their experiences and learn from each other. Living in the UK she is still one of the organisers of a bi-monthly Danish open meeting for hearing voices groups in Western Denmark. She has facilitated training on the hearing voices approach, mindfulness and understanding the highly sensitive person in Denmark, UK, Canada and Australia. She has co-facilitated a mindfulness group and a hearing voices group. She presently co-facilitates monthly arts and wellbeing sessions in Calderdale, West Yorkshire. Her blog is: Living Life Gently.

Funded by the Nursing and Midwifery Planning Development Unit, Health Service Executive – North and organised by the Irish Institute of Mental Health Nursing in association with University College Cork For expressions of interest, please complete the application form below. For further information email: [email protected] Application Form

Talking with Voices- Learning from the Dialogue

Facilitators: Rufus May and Elisabeth Svanholmer 6 & 7 October 2016 School of Nursing and Midwifery University College Cork

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1. I have lived experience of voice hearing 2. I work in a mental health setting 3. Other please specify

------Please give a short statement (max 250 words) as to why you are interested in doing this training

Email your application to Harry Gijbels at [email protected] or post to: Harry Gijbels School of Nursing and Midwifery University College Cork College Road Cork