In 2005 more than 300 people from diverse backgrounds gathered at the University of Surrey to learn from each other about the experience of hearing voices. The expression of curiosity from a range of perspectives was an inspiration to many who attended. My presentation will attempt to capture the spirit of collaborative enquiry that prevailed at this conference as it explores many of the views that have contributed to current understandings of voice hearing. Explorations of the views of children, people who hear voices, cognitive therapists and interpersonal theorists will culminate in a consideration of evolving therapeutic approaches that emphasise the relational nature of the voice hearing experience. Within this relationship we are learning from a further perspective - that of the voice.

Biography

I am a husband, father, Christian and supporter of West Ham United Football Club. I also work as a clinical psychologist within the NHS and academia, and in these roles I have the privilege of listening to many people describe their experiences, struggles and aspirations.

I first studied psychology 14 years ago, following a frustrating and disempowering career as a nurse. I was under the impression that clinical psychologists worked from a more expansive knowledge base with a degree of autonomy and influence. To date I haven’t been disappointed as opportunities to learn alongside people from a range of backgrounds have been plentiful. These collaborations have enabled specialist interests and publications to span three areas: the experience of hearing voices; the involvement of service users and carers within training and research; and the development of practices that promote the social inclusion of people with mental health problems.

My work with people who hear voices has spanned many of my years in clinical practice and has recently focussed on the exploration of voice hearing within a relational framework - acknowledging the voice as an interpersonal ‘other’ and researching differing aspects of the relationships that people develop with the voices they hear. These relationships are currently the subject of therapeutic scrutiny as new forms of therapy seek to transform distressing relationships into those that are experienced as more controllable and less intrusive. Curiosity about relationships with voices has extended to the experiences of hearers who have no contact with mental health services.