Four two day workshops!

Talking with Voices-Learning from the Dialogue

Facilitators: Rufus May and Elisabeth Svanholmer
(Dublin, Galway & Cork)
Funded by the Nursing and Midwifery Planning Development Unit
Health Service Executive North
Organised by the Irish Institute of Mental Health Nursing

This 2 day workshop is about different ways to use the voice dialogue approach with people who
hear voices. It is aimed at people who are already familiar with hearing voices approaches and
ethos and want to learn more about dialoguing. This training 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.

It 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.
www.http://rufusmay.com/

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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.

Workshop (1) 19th & 20th October 2017 - Dublin City University
For expressions of interest, application form and further information
contact:
martha.griffin@dcu.ie
Workshop (2) 23rd & 24th October 2017 University College
Dublin
For expressions of interest, application form and further information
contact:
ann.sheridan@ucd.ie

Workshop (3) 26TH & 27TH October 2017 National University of

Ireland Galway
For expressions of interest, application form and further information
contact:
siobhan.smyth@nuigalway.ie

Workshop (4) 30th November & 1st December 2017 University

College Cork
For expressions of interest, application form and further information
contact:
moira.odonovan@ucc.ie

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 Talking with Voices- Learning from the Dialogue
Facilitators: Rufus May and Elisabeth Svanholmer
Relevant date
Relevant venue
Application Form
Voice Dialogue Training
Name:

Address:

Telephone:

Email (if applicable):

Job title: (if working in a mental health setting):

Please circle the number which most applies to you:

1. I have lived experience of voice hearing

2. I work in a mental health setting
3. Other please specify

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

Thank you for taking the time to complete this. Please return the application

Relevant local co-ordinator