About HVNA

A Hearing Voices Network is a collection of Hearing Voices Groups and affiliated members (such as service providers, consumers, carers and friends) working toward promoting recovery, acceptance and education.  Across the world, groups of voice hearers meet and talk, sharing view points and strategies to support each other, telling their stories and exploring ways to work with, rather than against their voices in order to reclaim control and rebuild their lives.

People who hear voices are many and varied within the community.  Only a small percentage (about 10%) of such persons become distressed by this experience.  Many people who are distressed by hearing voices, visions, tactile sensations and other sensory experiences and worrying beliefs are often labeled as suffering from a range of conditions from the schizophrenia spectrum.

History of the Hearing Voices Network Australia (HVNA)

In July 2005, the Richmond Fellowship of Western Australia (RFWA) brought Ron Coleman and Karen Taylor (from Scotland) to Perth to deliver a series of Recovery workshops.  Ron's support and encouragement to begin a HVN resulted in Richmond Fellowship of WA taking the innovative step of auspicing the development of Hearing Voices Network Australia (HVNA).  RFWA has supported the network's setup and remains committed to its ongoing development and ultimate roll out across the country at a later date.

Our ROLE

Is to enable acceptance of hearing voices and promote recovery for people who hear distressing voices.  This will be achieved through support for self-help groups, education and awareness. (Where recovery is defined as living a meaningful life from the perspective of the individual).

Our VISION

To be at the forefront in achieving innovative, consumer led approaches to recovery.

Our KEY PRINCIPLES

• Accepting that hearing voices is a valid experience
• Respecting each person's interpretation and beliefs about their experiences
• Fostering and enabling safety and wellbeing of all
• Promoting hope
• Helping consumers to know that they are not alone
• Believing in each person's capacity to take control of their experience and recover
• Encouraging people to come together and feel safe in sharing their experiences and coping strategies
• Working collaboratively and inclusively with other services to develop knowledge and achieve holistic approaches to recovery, and
• Fostering and supporting consumer independence and empowerment

HVNA aims to

• Provide an opportunity for people to connect
• Work towards gaining a better understanding of the experience of hearing voices, seeing visions and other like experiences
• Reduce anxiety, ignorance, stigma and isolation, by offering peer support groups, raising awareness, training and education
• Work with voice hearers, consumers, service providers, carers and friends, sharing ways of coping and working with voices.

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