Building Community in Our Groups

Building community and an inclusive network is a key element to our recovery. In our hearing voices and family and friends groups we come out of isolation and feel safe to talk about our voices and experiences. We find community with other voices hearers and family members.Though sometimes difficult at first, groups often bring up feelings of vulnerability, we learn to come out of isolation and learn to reach out for support. Family and friends are uniquely positioned to validate our experiences. This is so important for those of us who hear voices or otherwise perceive things not perceived by others.

At the same time, the experience of family members and friends also benefit from validation and a sense of community as we learn to resist oppressive conventions and develop alternative frameworks for understanding our own and or loved ones’ experiences.

Together our goal is to build an inclusive network that partners with other families and voice hearers to create a support system based on the following values: no assumption of illness, respecting experiences different from our own, taking ownership of our fears, the freedom to challenge norms, and looking at our language that limits our understanding of loved ones experiences.