“It allowed us to let our pain out”: perspectives from voice-hearers and their voices on the ‘talking with voices’ approach

ABSTRACT

Background

The “Talking with Voices” (TwV) approach is a novel, formulation-driven approach to helping people who hear distressing voices. It is based on an understanding of voice-hearing as a relational phenomenon, often linked to trauma. Therapy involves facilitation of dialogical engagement between hearers and their voices. There are as yet few empirical studies of the approach.

Method

The current study explored experiences of the TwV approach from the perspectives of voice-hearers and also of their voices. Ten qualitative interviews were subjected to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

Results

Both hearers and their voices felt that the TwV approach can be a powerful enabler of positive change, and that it provides a valuable means of working through past trauma. Establishing a safe base – with time to build trust in the process – was considered key, as were the personal qualities of the facilitator, including openness, courage and a non-judgemental approach. Participants also saw flexibility as important, including the ability to try things out within the work. It was also important that the ideas behind the approach made sense to the participant. Perceived barriers included the medicalised nature of current services and the lack of availability of the TwV approach.

Conclusion

The findings provide support for the acceptability and value of dialogical approaches to helping people who hear voices. In particular, they suggest that participating in TwV can help people develop an understanding of, and a more peaceful relationship with, their voices. The study is novel in eliciting perspectives from the voices themselves, and this yielded valuable insights.

KEYWORDS:

• Talking with voices
• dialogical approaches
• voice dialogue
• voice-hearing

Acknowledgements

We thank all of the people and voices who participated in this study, as well as our anonymous reviewers for their helpful contributions.

Disclosure statement

The third author’s involvement in facilitation of dialogue sessions and a UK-based HVG, from which some participants were recruited, has been acknowledged in this paper.