Hearing voices is an experience that may be distressing or interfering with daily life for a number of people. This workshop aims to give attendees a framework for current state-of-the-art in helping people who have distressing experiences of hearing voices.

The workshop will start by considering the experience of hearing voices, what it is like, and how it may impact on people’s lives. We will consider what we know about patterns in when voices may be more or less likely to occur, and different ways that people try to cope with the experience, and lived experience perspectives on voice hearing.

The second part will aim to equip attendees with practical skills in talking with people about this experience. We will draw on research conducted by the presenters and others on (a) what people who hear voices find most helpful in their interactions with mental health practitioners about hearing voices, and (b) the strategies that mental health workers use in their day-to-day practice to help people talk about this experience. We will go on to discuss practical methods from therapeutic approaches that help people to feel safe in discussing this experience, and create a supportive collaborative therapeutic relationship in helping people work with hearing voices.

The third part will consider the role of more focused therapeutic approaches, including one-to-one therapy and peer-support voices groups. We will consider what therapies involve, who, how and when people can be supported to engage in therapies, and how to access specialist therapy through voices clinics and elsewhere in Australia.

Learning methods will include drawing on both the presenters and attendees experiences through whole group and if suitable small group discussion, combined with presentation of practical information, lived experience video material, and skills demonstration.