A warm welcome to everyone who joins us today in Newcastle upon Tyne for ‘Hearing Voices: What do we need to know?‘
Our event marks the launch of Understanding Voices – a new website providing clear, comprehensive and balanced information about hearing voices – and explores visions for the future.
Developed over two years through extensive consultation and collaboration with voice-hearers, Understanding Voices reflects the current state of our collective knowledge and understanding of voice-hearing. But what do we not yet understand about voices? Which directions are we and should we be headed in? Today voice-hearers, their families and allies join together with academics, activists and mental health professionals in order to explore future directions in voice-hearing research, advocacy, policy and clinical practice.
Conversations will be prompted by short presentations from people with diverse experiences and perspectives, both personal and professional. You can download the full programme for the afternoon here.
We warmly invite you to join us #BeyondTheRoom using the hashtag #UnderstandingVoices. We’ll be live tweeting from the event and posting regular updates throughout the afternoon.
About Understanding Voices
Understanding Voices (UV) is a new web resource that will make it easier to find information about different ways of understanding voices and supporting those who are struggling with the voices that they hear.
Our website covers a wide variety of topics, ranging from what it is like to hear voices and what’s happening in the brain, through to the pros and cons of medication, cognitive behavioural therapy and peer support. It also explores practical techniques for managing distressing voices, information for families and friends, and sheds light on the links between voice-hearing and inner speech, trauma, creativity and spiritual or religious experience.
Many thanks to the voice-hearers, family members and health professionals who helped make the website what it is.