There is a historic tension when it comes to involving families in support for someone who is hearing voices and related experiences. Families are often caught between the systems that can leave them feeling powerless to help and a family member in distress who typically holds the least power and may be struggling to maintain autonomy. Family-oriented supports frequently encourage families to address concerns by talking about and sometimes seeking to take power away from that person. This is often counterproductive and can create estrangements that are difficult to repair. Yet, when effectively facilitated with everyone’s needs recognized, family support can have a unique potential power.
The Hearing Voices USA family group charter opens with:
“Family and friends are uniquely positioned to validate the experiences of those who hear voices or otherwise perceive things not perceived by others. At the same time, the experience of family members and friends also benefits from validation and a sense of community as they learn to resist oppressive conventions and develop alternative frameworks for understanding their own and their loved ones' experiences.”
This webinar will borrow from the Maastricht Interview approach, striving to make it more accessible and usable for family members. Drawing on years of experience facilitating Hearing Voices Network (HVN) friends-and-family groups, providing family consults, and personal experience with voices, visions, and other unusual or extreme states, the facilitators of this workshop will share what has worked and how they’ve navigated challenges. Skills and strategies related to advocacy, holding the knowledge of the whole person, mirroring back strengths, and offering sincere counter-messages to distressing voices will all be discussed.
Presenter Bios
Cindy Marty Hadge is an internationally recognized trainer and public speaker on topics including the Hearing Voices Movement, trauma, suicide and more. For many years, she worked for the Wildflower Alliance, founding the first ever on-line family & friends Hearing Voices Group in the world and becoming one of the most well known Hearing Voices trainers in the country. In the last year, she co-founded Roots Up and is continuing to forge an innovative path forward supporting voice hearers, families and more. She is also a Hearing Voices USA Board member, a grandmother and content creator for her YouTube channel, Diagnosis: Human Being.
Sasha Dunbar (they/them) is currently bringing their rootedness in anti-carceral peer support to their studies at Smith School for Social Work. Being multi-heritage (Jamaica+Scotland), Black, and queer informs how they connect to the world and all of its stories. They are rooted in community in Intentional Peer Support, Hearing Voices Network-USA and Roots Up. They co-facilitate trainings, a weekly HVN Friends & Family group, and previously spearheaded nature-based and youth suicide groups. What an honor to be part of communities that refuse to accept that people should be punished and incarcerated for big feelings and extraordinary experiences. Home is currently Western Massachusetts (Nipmuc & Pocumtuc land) and Durham, NC (Eno, Saponi & more).
- Can’t attend live? The webinar will be recorded and sent to all registrants.
- Need CE credits? Choose the Professional Ticket, which includes CEs for APA & NY Boards. You’ll be able to attend the live webinar, and within 2 weeks of the event, we’ll send you a follow-up email with a link to the recorded session on our CE platform, CE-Go, along with a short quiz. CEs are awarded only after you complete the quiz; live attendance alone does not qualify. Further CE Info: http://www.isps-us.org/ceinfo
- Can't afford to contribute? A limited number of free tickets are available using code 26SCHOLAR.
