Webinar Date: Wednesday 24 October 2018
Delivered by: Akiko Hart

This webinar gives a short overview of the experience of hearing voices – hearing, sensing or seeing things that others don’t.

Some people understand these experiences as a symptom of an illness, others as a meaningful response to events in their life, including trauma and adversity. Some will see it within a religious or spiritual framework, and yet others as a sign of neurodiversity or how they are in the world. In this webinar, we will explore how we might move from asking why people hear voices to reflecting on why some people hear distressing voices. We will also explore different ways of making sense of the experience and how we can hold space to respect these multiple perspectives.

Akiko works for Mind in Camden and manages a series of projects for people who hear voices, see visions or have unusual sensory experiences or beliefs. The main focus of the work is to set up services, including peer support groups, in the community, for young people, in prisons, secure units and in detention centres. Akiko is also a trustee of Hearing Voices England and was previously Director of Mental Health Europe. Akiko’s interests include hearing voices and psychosis, how we sit with and understand distress, and peer support.