Experience Focussed Counselling With Voice Hearers as a Recovery-Focussed Approach: A Qualitative Thematic Inquiry

This qualitative study explored the suitability of Experience Focussed Counselling (EFC) as a much-needed recovery-focussed hearing voices approach. Twenty-five interviews explored the views of voice hearers and mental health professionals exposed to both EFC and Treatment as Usual. An inductive explanatory model of Applied Thematic Analysis was used. Trustworthiness and dependability of the study were ensured. We identified 11 themes pertaining to recovery outcomes, including recovery outcomes, voice-specific coping, tolerance of symptoms or experiences, and relationship between voice hearer and professional and others. EFC was considered helpful in facilitating recovery, whereas Treatment as Usual was not. These findings support existing knowledge from within the Hearing Voices Movement and the relevance of EFC as a recovery-focussed approach applicable in voice hearing-related distress, by improving psychosocial and voice hearing distress domains, personal recovery, and the understandability of voices within a voice hearer's life context.