Seminars & Conferences

Working with Voices and Difficult Beliefs

Date:     Thursday 12th November 2009
Time:     9.00 am - 4.00 pm
Venue:  School of Nursing and Midwifery, Building E (map ref. A + B3), McMahons Road, Frankston

Flyer

Map of Peninsula Campus

Parking, transport and maps:  http://www.monash.edu.au/campuses/peninsula.html

Fee:  $110.00 (includes GST, morning tea and a light lunch)

Registration form   for credit card payments only please click on the link below

 http://ecommerce.med.monash.edu.au/product.asp?pID=128

Further information:

Led by Debra Lampshire, these group sessions investigate how voices or difficult beliefs can 'take over' a voice-hearers life at different times and provides practical insights and down-to-earth strategies about how to re-gain control and re-integrate with work, family and friends.

After 30 years lived experience of her own recovery, Debra is now President of ISPS-NZ (www.isps.org), a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Mental Health Research and Policy Development at University of Auckland and the Project Manager for the Psychological Interventions for Enduring Mental Illness Project at the Auckland District Health Board.

Debra recently contributed a chapter to Professor Marius Romme's forthcoming book on voice hearing; Professor Romme, with Dr Sandra Escher, has been a ground breaking researcher about voice-hearing since the 1990's, and has been fundamental contributor to the development of the world-wide voice-hearers movement, setting the framework for the new field of CBT for Voices (see http://www.intervoiceonline.org/).  

Debra will be remembered by some in Melbourne for her workshop presentations at the World Psychiatric Association Conference in 2007, and the Collaborative Psychiatric Nursing Conference in 2008.

Recently returned from a series of workshops in the UK and Europe, Debra has kindly consented to spend time in Victoria delivering workshops.

Rationale: 

• Despite improvements in pharmacotherapy, and changes in service delivery models, a number of clients at our community mental health services remain distressed by medication-resistant positive psychotic symptoms (PPS). People experiencing these symptoms often feel isolated, with poor social functioning and quality of life. They experience higher levels of anxiety, depression and suicide than general populations.
• Current research suggests medication resistant symptoms of severe mental illness (SMI) can be helped by psychosocial treatment, based on the cognitive model. (Bentall, 2003; Morrison et al., 2003) Further research suggests that this can be delivered effectively in both individual and group settings.
• In a six week pilot group at a community mental health centre participants reported overall a 50% reduction in frequency and distress of voice hearing over this period. These voice hearers had on average 20 years of voice hearing experience. Coupland (2001) reports reductions in distress and frequency by voice hearers attending groups similar to that of those receiving individual CBT sessions.
• Clients who feel their experience to be normalised and validated have less self stigmatisation. They are more likely to accept medication as a strategy for reducing symptoms of stress.