Durham University and TEWV Foundation Trust Joint Special Interest Group for Psychosis

The Joint Special Interest Group for Psychosis (JSIGP) was founded in 2011 by Valentina Short, Charles Fernyhough and Angela Woods with the aim of fostering a dialogue between mental health professionals, service users, academic researchers and students. JSIGP meetings are open to all staff working in either the Trust or the University, but will be of particular interest to those staff working in ‘psychosis services’ or who are involved in research within the field. A warm welcome is also extended to any service users who would like to attend. The group meets on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of topics and speakers. Past and future meetings include:

2013

• Wednesday 27 March: Angela Kennedy, ‘Compassion Focused Therapy and Psychosis’, Holgate Centre, Grey College, Durham University
• Wednesday 24 April: Guy Dodgson, ‘Why is there limited effectiveness of CBT for AVHs? How can we enhance treatment?’, Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University
• Wednesday 29 May:  Mark Yeoman, ‘An Examination of the Cognitive Model of Persecutory Beliefs: What Role Do Anomalous Experiences and Arousal Play in a Search for Meaning?’, Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University
• Wednesday 26 June: Angela Woods, ‘Unpacking the Recovery Story’, Henry Dyson Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University
• Wednesday 18 September: Janis H. Jenkins (University of California, San Diego), ‘Tangible Experience of the Extraordinary and the Ordinary: Psychosis as a Fundamental Human Process’, Henry Dyson Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University
• Wednesday 30 October: Helen Stain (University of Durham) ‘Being at Ultra High Risk for Psychosis: What does this mean for youth, families, and clinicians?’, Henry Dyson Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University
• Wednesday 27 November: Daniel Collerton (Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust) ‘Seeing Things that are not There: What we think we know about visual hallucinations‘, Henry Dyson Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University
• Wednesday 18 December: Rachel Waddingham (London Hearing Voices Project) ‘Creating safe spaces in unsafe places: supporting people in prison who hear voices’, Henry Dyson Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University

2014

• Wednesday 29 January: Professor Christopher Cook (Durham University), on Voice-hearing and Spirituality, Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University
• Wednesday 26 February: Outi Benson (SANE) on Suicide and Psychosis, Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University
• Wednesday 26 March: Dr Alastair Morgan (Sheffield Hallam University) on ‘Is Psychiatry Dying? The contemporary ‘legitimation crisis in psychiatry’, ER 143, Elvet Riverside, Durham University
• Wednesday 30 April: Eilis Quinlan (TEWV) on Mindfulness, venue tbc.
• Wednesday 28 May: Dr Alison Brabban (School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health, Durham University) on ‘Treating Psychosis without Anti-psychotics: Is it an Option?’, Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University.
• Wednesday 25 June: Professor Matthew Ratcliffe (Philosophy Department, Durham University), Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University.
• Mike White & Mary Robson (Centre for Medical Humanities, Durham University) on ‘A Rehearsal Room for Arts and Hearing Voices’ followed by an ‘Art Therapy Taster Session’ led by Andrew Walker (TEWV), Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University.
• Wednesday 24 September: Dr Dawn Edge (University of Manchester) on ‘The “Schizophrenia Epidemic” among African Caribbeans in the UK’, Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University.
• Wednesday 29 October: Alex Hunter on ‘Empathic Resonance – Paradigm Regained?’, Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University.
• Wednesday 25 November: Mark Ellerby on ‘Hearing Voices and Three Strategies for Personal Growth ‘, Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University.
• Wednesday 17 December: Film screening: ‘We’re All Mad Here‘ with Q & A with filmmaker Colin McCormack, Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University.

2015

• Wednesday 25 February: Professor Elena Semino (Lancaster University) & Dr Zsófia Demjén (Open University) on ‘Language and the Phenomenology of Psychosis‘, Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University.
• Wednesday 25 March: Sean Hunter (Newcastle University), ‘Voice-hearer perspectives on the meaning of recovery‘, Elvet Riverside 143, Durham University.
• Wednesday 29 April: Sam Wilkinson (Durham University), ‘Psychosis and the Hypothesis-testing Brain‘, Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University.
• Wednesday 27 May: Valentina Short (TEWV NHS Foundation Trust), ‘Understanding and Treating Persecutory Delusions‘, Birley Room, Hatfield College, Durham University.
• Wednesday 28 October: Fiona MacCallum (ARCH Recovery College), ‘Voice Dialogue and the Spectrum of Selves‘, Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University.
• Wednesday 25 November: Chris Cook (Durham University), ‘The Significance of Hearing Voices‘, Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University.

2016

• 27 January: Alex Perry (Psychological Therapies Lead, Community Links) on ‘Cognitive Analytic Therapy with Voices: Helping to improve the relationship‘, Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University.
• 24 February: Sam Warner (Salford University) on ‘Visions, voices, dissociated parts and child sexual abuse: From living life in crisis to moving on to recovery’, Kenworthy Hall, St Mary’s College, Durham University.
• 30 March: Nicolas Marquis (Université Paris-Descartes and Université Saint-Louis) on ‘Should people with psychosis strive towards more autonomy? The concrete use of the idea of a ‘life project’ in two psychiatric services in Belgium and France‘, Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University.
• 25 May: Debbie Maxwell (University of York) and Elaine Weir (Time and Space) ‘Listen (If You Dare): Voice-hearing and subversive disruption‘ Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University.

Meetings are held in the specified venue from 5.30 – 7 pm. Places are limited for these events. If you would like to reserve a place, please contact Victoria Patton. To receive information about future meetings of the Joint Special Interest Group for Psychosis via email, please sign up to the JSIGP mailing list.