About Us
Portland Hearing Voices is a new community group to promote mental diversity. We create public education, discussion groups, and community support related to hearing voices, seeing visions, and having unusual beliefs and sensory experiences often labeled as psychosis, bipolar, schizophrenia, and other mental disorders. We aim to reduce fear and misunderstanding, question stereotypes, promote holistic health options, overcome isolation, and create a more inclusive and supportive community.
We have a mental diversity approach beyond conventional medical labels and explore creativity, spirituality, trauma, and sensitivity. We help each other learn from and live with our experiences, and struggle with emotional distress and pain while also respecting positive sides of what we go through. Non-judgmental; people taking medication, not taking medication, and considering options are welcome.
We ask the question, What do these experiences mean to you? and welcome diverse personal interpretations and ways of coping. Throughout history the mysterious meaning of "madness" such as hearing voices has defied any final explanation, and we seek to create greater understanding through dialog and community-building. Groups and events are donation based and low-income accessible; no one turned away for lack of funds.
We work with and refer people to counselors and holistic health practitioners who share our perspective and can offer accessible services to the community.
Portland Hearing Voices is led and managed by people with lived experience of hearing voices and psychiatric diagnosis. We are a 501(c) non-profit under the fiscal sponsorship of the Mental Health Association of Portland. We are currently all-volunteer and in the process of seeking funding and resources, Program Director is Will Hall.
What are the goals of Portland Hearing Voices?
- Regular public education events like the showing of the BBC documentary "Hearing Voices"
- Discussion and support groups, including an ongoing Voices and Visions group (modeled on successful groups in the UK). All groups low-income accesible.
- Training and consulting for mental health and other service providers.
- Resource referrals to non-judgmental counseling, holistic healthcare, and other support.
- Website portal to resources and learning about hearing voices and unusual sensory experiences.
- Opportunities to meet each other and weave a community together.
How can we help Portland Hearing Voices get started?
- Make a financial contribution; all donations are tax-deductible, payable to Portland Hearing Voices/MHAP
- Volunteer, spread the word, build our website and more
- Partner with us to create a new project or group. We want your ideas and involvement!
Find out about Support Groups and Upcoming Events
Download our informational flyer
Check out photos on our Flickr stream
Listen to our radio Public Service Announcement
Media Coverage
Newsweek Magazine: Listening To Madness with Will Hall
Watch the video on KATU local news.
Read the article on the KATU news website.
Read the Portland Mercury newspaper cover story about Portland Hearing Voices.
Read the Blogtown write-up on the Mercury website.
Further resources
- www.intervoiceonline.org -- the main international website of the hearing voices movement
- www.mentalhealthportland.org< /a> -- our fiscal sponsor
- http://www.newsweek.com/id/195694 -- Newsweek profile of Will Hall. Magazine pdf here.
- www.madnessradio.net
- www.willhall.org -- Will Hall's website
- www.theicarusproject.net
- Harm Reduction Guide to Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs
- Forbes magazine website article
- New York Times: Schizophrenia-Are Drugs Always Needed?