We are writing you about the next opportunity to attend a “Hearing Voices Group Facilitator” Training. We’ve had great responses to our previous facilitator’s trainings and several groups have started as a result. The training is presented by the Western Massachusetts Recovery Learning Community (RLC) with the primary purpose of training people to start their own Hearing Voices Groups in their own area.
Hearing Voices Groups originated in Europe and now there are over 160 chartered groups in England alone. Hearing Voices Groups do not pathologize hearing voices, seeing visions or other unusual experiences. Instead, group members explore these phenomena in an environment of mutual support and curiosity. They offer people who hear voices, see visions or have other unusual experiences the opportunity to share their experience and explore new ways of coping, understanding their experiences and getting support.
Currently there are a growing number of Hearing Voices Groups in the United States, and our vision includes both supporting and bolstering existing groups and expanding the overall numbers and accessibility. We hope that you will join us in bringing this vision to reality!
Sincerely,
The Western Mass RLC
See Below for Further Training Details:
TRAINERS TO INCLUDE: Caroline Carlton, experienced HVN USA trainer and group facilitator, Marty Hadge, experienced HVN trainer and group facilitator, with special guests to be determined.
TRAINING DATES, TIMES AND LOCATION: Dates for the training are scheduled for Monday, February 19th, 2018 through Thursday, February 22nd, 2018. Each day will run from 9:30am to 4:300 pm. Reading homework may be assigned ahead of time and/or during the class. The training will be located at the Wilder Center in St Paul, Minnesota. Attendance at all 4 sessions is required to complete the training.
TRAINING PREREQUISITES: This training is intended for persons who hear voices, or have other unusual or extreme experiences, and for clinical staff, family, and friends, interested in supporting persons who have such experiences. The Facilitator Training will provide one with the tools to start a hearing voices group (a group where voice hearers, and/or their allies can support each other.) Some awareness of and investment in the Hearing Voices Movement and approach is required, so please be sure you’ve checked out www.hearingvoicesusa.org and/or other sources to be sure you are familiar with the basics and still interested in applying!
COST: There is no cost to attend this training, though you are responsible for your own travel expenses as applicable.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFO: This training is open to people who identify as voice hearers, allies, friends and family, clinicians, peer workers and more. If you attend, you should expect that the group will include a mixture of people in varied roles. This training is designed to challenge and encourage creative thought about different belief systems, and so openness and genuine