Voices, Visions, and Beliefs
If you see and hear things that others cannot, or have strange or extraordinary belief systems, you are not "crazy." At least that's what I believe, and that's the way I work with individuals who have these experiences.
Extrasensory experiences are not well-understood by society and by the medical and psychiatric community. If you have been treated by this system, you may have been given a diagnosis of schizophrenia or a related disorder. Perhaps you were even told that you could not get better and that you should lower your expectations of yourself in regard to working, going to school, having relationships, and finding fulfillment in your life.
Thankfully, these are not true statements for many people who have your same experiences. I work with you to make sense of the things you are hearing, seeing, and thinking, in order to incorporate them into your life in a way that adds meaning and purpose, rather than detracting from it. Informed by techniques and principles of innovative, successful approaches from across the globe, I come alongside you as a guide. One who truly believes that what you are experiencing is real and is willing to walk with you through those experiences.
Loved ones of voice hearers often suffer alongside the person having the experience. This is especially true if the voices, visions, and beliefs cause people to turn against or become suspicious of those closest to them. Sometimes the overwhelming feelings associated with these experiences cause people to turn to alcohol and drugs to cope, or makes it difficult for the person to maintain a job or relationships. These things can then become their own problem, and family members and other supports are strained trying to help this person hold it together.
If you are here on behalf of a loved one who is having voices, visions, or bizarre beliefs, you may be turned off by the idea that I would call these experiences real. You may think, "That's the problem! What my loved one needs is to realize these things are not real!" Here's a helpful comparison: imagine a person who is in an abusive relationship. Even if all of their family and friends are telling them to leave this partner, that their partner is abusive, it is usually not helpful, because the relationship is so important to them and they feel torn. Often, they end up feeling more alone if loved ones express their distaste.
Hearing voices sometimes feels like an abusive relationship. What your loved one needs is your support and understanding as they learn to change their relationship to the voices, and take their power back. Knowing they have a support system outside of the voices can be a powerful tool in helping them do just that.
Resources
Below are additional resources for people who have voices, visions, and beliefs (including paranoia) and their loved ones:
Organizations
Videos, podcasts, and other audiovisual media
Madness Radio (podcast)
It's Not Just in Your Head (podcast)
The Voices in My Head - Eleanor Longden (YouTube video)
Articles
An Open Mind: Sera Davidow Questions What We Think We Know About Mental Illness
Researchers Doubt That Certain Mental Disorders Are Disorders At All
Kendrick Sampson: An Open Letter on America’s Mental Health Crisis
How Psychics Who Hear Voices Could Help People with Psychotic Disorders Cope
Doctors Gave Her Antipsychotics; She Decided to Live With Her Voices