Resources

Hearing Voices Group Guidelines

• Is a self-help group and not a clinical group offering treatment
• Accept that voices and visions are real experiences
• Accept that people are not any the less for having voices and visions
• Respects each member as an expert
• Sanctions the freedom to talk about anything, not just voices and visions
• Sanctions the freedom to interpret experiences in any way
• Sanctions the freedom to challenge social norms
• Encourages an ethos of self-determination
• Values ordinary, non-professional language
• Focuses primarily on sharing experiences, support and empathy
• Members are not subject to referral, discharge or risk assessment
• Members are able to come and go as they want without repercussions
• Members are aware of limits to and constraints on confidentiality
• Accept people as they are
• Make no assumption of illness
• Are a self-help group not a therapy group
• Can be a community to which people belong
• Work towards upholding equity in the group
• Decide on the limits to confidentiality not the facilitator
• Work out problems collectively
• Share responsibility rather than the facilitator solely
• Members join for as long as it suits them
• Are open to people from other geographical areas
• Facilitator is not under clinical pressure to report back to anyone else
• Encourages, supports and enables voice hearers to take a co-facilitator or facilitator role.

These are guidelines for self-help groups.

Over time groups may vary or develop there own guidelines as they deem appropriate.