Join A Hearing Voices Network Group

The Hearing Voices Movement started in the Netherlands in 1987, and a year later the first Hearing Voices Group in the UK was set up in England. Today in the UK there are about 180 Hearing Voices Groups (HVGs) of which Talking Voices is one. HVGs are not complicated, nor are they rocket science! But they can be a place of support that accepts voices from a diverse range of causes and meanings, and can help you navigate through life.

Where & When?

We meet online using Zoom every Friday from 5:30pm to 7:00pm. This group is open to anyone and it doesn’t matter where you live.  To find out how to join email talking.voices@yahoo.com

We are also in the process of setting up an in person face-to-face group on the Isle of Wight and this will take place once a month.  If you live on the Island you’re welcome to join both groups, or just the online group, or only the in person group.

If you’re looking for an in person, face-to-face, group in another part of the country check out the Hearing Voices Network “find a group” page

How will it help me?

All Hearing Voice Network (HVN) Groups are a space where people who hear voices, see visions, or feel tactile sensations that other people don’t, can join together and be with people with shared or similar life experiences.  We join together to chat with one another, to support one another, to be heard, and to be supported.  Talking Voices is one of those that we hope is a safe haven both for the weekly online group (for anyone anywhere) and the face to face Isle of Wight monthly group.

Why Join Talking Voices Group?

People come to Hearing Voices Groups for lots of different reasons, including:

• Meeting people with similar experiences
• Being supported, and using experiences to support others
• Learning new ways of managing difficult experiences (coping)
• Making sense of experiences
• Using experiences to challenge stigma and discrimination
• Talking with people about other issues that impact on their life (eg: relationships, benefits, work, navigating mental health systems, study, medication, discrimination) ^[1]

“Hearing Voices” is an umbrella phrase that includes many different perceptions that most people don’t experience including voices, visions, touch, sensed presence, smell and taste.

Our Talking Voices group is a place (online and/or face-to-face) where you can be, and you won’t be judged for your experiences, thoughts, or diagnosis.  Instead you will be accepted, valued and understood. You can contribute to the group’s discussions or if you feel more comfortable sit back and listen to others.  It is a space where you will discover peer-to-peer validation, find connection and social support, exchange information, and self-reflect on the information you’ve discovered.

Many people who hear voices, or see visions or sense touch that other people don’t, often feel isolated perhaps thinking that they live in their own bubble, or maybe believing they’re the only person who feels this way.  Talking Voices offers a sense of belonging, and a feeling that you’re not alone with your voices or visions.

Purpose & Respect

Purpose – Hearing Voices Groups are based firmly on an ethos of self help, mutual respect and empathy. They provide a safe space for people to share their experiences and support one another. They are peer support groups, involving social support and belonging, not therapy or treatment. However, groups do offer an opportunity for people to accept and live with their experiences in a way that helps them regain some power over their lives.^[1]

Respect – Hearing Voices Groups welcome the diversity of experiences and views of their members. Rather than seeing one belief system as more valid than another, all explanations for voice and visions are valued. There is no assumption of illness. Groups recognise that all members have expertise to contribute to the group, no one member is more important than another. ^{[2]
[1] & [2] from The Hearing Voices Network Core Values}

Winchester