Hearing Voices Group Facilitator Training

PLEASE NOTE: This training is being held IN PERSON in West Springfield, MA. We do not have an option to attend this training remotely at this time. We do anticipate offering remote trainings again in the future, but do not currently have one scheduled. We strongly encourage attending in person trainings if at all possible, as we have found that the learning experience tends to be better for most people and offers more opportunity for the training group to gel which can significantly impact the training experience. We will be prioritizing people who are unable to attend in person trainings for our on-line opportunities. This form is for the purpose of applying for the RLC’s next “Hearing Voices Group Facilitator” Training. The training is presented by the Wildflower Alliance (formerly known as the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community) with the primary purpose of training people to start their own Hearing Voices Groups in their own area.  This training will cover the ins-and-outs of Hearing Voices groups that meet in community, as well as in clinical settings.

Hearing Voices Groups originated in Europe and now there are over 160 chartered groups in England alone.  Hearing Voices Groups do not pathologize hearing voices, seeing visions or other unusual experiences.  Instead, group members explore these phenomena in an environment of mutual support and curiosity.  They offer people who hear voices, see visions or have other unusual experiences the opportunity to share their experience and explore new ways of coping, understanding their experiences and getting support.

Currently there are a growing number of Hearing Voices Groups in the United States, and our vision includes both supporting and bolstering existing groups and expanding the overall numbers and accessibility.  We hope that you will join us in bringing this vision to reality! Learn more at www.beyondpossiblefilm.info.

Please complete the application below in its entirety no later than Wednesday, August 27, 2021, in order to be considered for this training. We will be notifying everyone about whether or not they have a spot in the training the following week. Please note that we will ALWAYS reach out to you to let you know if you’ve been accepted or not. If you do not receive notification by Friday, September 3rd, please check your spam/junk mail and e-mail us at info@wildfloweralliance.org to let us know.

See Below for Further Training Details:

TRAINING DATES AND TIMES:  Dates for the training are Tuesday, October 12, Wednesday, October 13, and Thursday, October 14. Reading homework may be assigned ahead of time and/or during the class. Attendance at all three sessions is required to complete the training. Training days will run from 9am to 5pm each day.

TRAINING PREREQUISITES:  This training is primarily intended for people who have some basic facilitation skills and/or training, though not absolutely required so long as it is understood that the training is not designed to provide these basic skills.  Some awareness of and investment in the Hearing Voices Movement and approach is required. You should be already facilitating or have an active interest in starting an HVN group or supporting an existing one.

COST:  This training is free for individuals working and/or living in Massachusetts. There is a $100 fee for individuals from out-of-state. (This fee may be waived upon request if it would prevent someone from attending.)