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Two more successful Hearing Voices Group Facilitation Workshops

22 Oct 2013

Some of the attendees pictured with Jacqui Dillon in front and Harry Gijbels at the back.

 

 

Following on from last year’s successful workshop, two more successful 3-Day Hearing Voices Group Facilitation & Network Development Training workshops, funded by the Nursing and Midwifery Planning Development Unit, HSE – South, and organised by the Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery, took place in Brookfield Health Sciences Complex from 2 – 4 October and from 7 – 9 October. The training was facilitated by Jacqui Dillon, who is a campaigner, writer, international speaker and trainer specialising in hearing voices, ‘psychosis’, dissociation, trauma, abuse, healing and recovery. Jacqui is the National Chair of the Hearing Voices Network in England and a Board member of Intervoice – the International Network for Training, Education and Research into Hearing Voices. Jacqui holds a number of Honorary Lectureships. Along with Professor Marius Romme and Dr Sandra Escher she was the co-editor of Living with Voices, an anthology of 50 voice hearers’ stories of recovery.  She is also co-edited Demedicalising Misery: Psychiatry, Psychology and the Human Condition, and more recently co-edited the 2nd Edition(with John Read) of Models of Madness: Psychological, Social and Biological Approaches to Psychosis. She has published numerous articles and papers. Jacqui is also a voice hearer.  

 

The two 3-day workshops were attended by 51 people with representation from voice hearers and mental health workers (nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, art therapists, clinical psychologists, support workers). The attendees came mainly from Cork, but there were also attendees from Kerry, Tipperary and Limerick),There is an ever growing body of evidence to support the effectiveness of Hearing Voices Groups.  Hearing Voices Groups offer a safe place for people to feel accepted and comfortable sharing their experiences of voices, visions, tactile sensations and other unusual experiences and perceptions. Following on from last year’s workshop, a number of Hearing Voices Support Groups have been set up in Cork, and anecdotal evidence and participants’ testimonials indicates that these groups are beneficial and empowering. It was good to see a number of voice hearers at the workshops, who are attending these groups. They will now go on and become co-facilitators in the groups. Indeed, the overall aim of the programme was to provide the participants knowledge and skills necessary to facilitate a Hearing Voices Support Group.

 

Participants’ feedback indicated that the 3-day programme was a very positive, powerful, intensive and moving experience, in which new insights were gained into the understanding of voice hearing and in working with voice hearers, beyond the traditional bio-psychiatric understanding. 

 

Three further 3-day workshops are planned, funded by the Nursing and Midwifery Planning Development Unit, HSE – Dublin, in Dublin, Galway and Sligo later this year (see www.iimhn.ie for details). It is envisaged that an Irish Hearing Voices Network will be established sometime next year, offering a ‘space’ for voice hearers and HV group facilitators to meet regularly to share their experiences and develop good practice.

 

On behalf of the participants, I would like to thank Jacqui for sharing her experiences and insights.

 

Harry Gijbels

 

Senior Lecturer

School of Nursing & Midwifery 

  

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Scoil an Altranais agus an Chnáimhseachais

Brookfield Health Sciences Complex College Road Cork, Ireland , T12 AK54

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