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Experience Focussed Counselling with Voice Hearers: Towards a Trans-diagnostic Key to Understanding Past and Current Distress—A Thematic Enquiry

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Abstract

As it is increasingly evident that distressing voices can be linked to traumatic events across diagnoses, there is a need for new transdiagnostic interventions for persons with voice hearing related distress. Twenty-five interviews with voice hearers and mental health professionals explored the trans-diagnostic suitability of Experience Focussed Counselling (EFC) compared to Treatment As Usual. An Applied Thematic Analysis was used. Themes identified were: intervention applicability; impact of regular treatment before study; impact of EFC process; process of working with voices; impact of regular treatment during study; views on treatment or approach. The EFC focus was considered helpful across diagnoses. The findings support EFC as a transdiagnostic intervention.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the goodwill of participating mental health professionals and voice hearers at the St Ansgar gGmbH, Kropp, North Germany, and at the Pfalzklinikum, Kaiserslautern and Klingenmünster, South-West Germany. Joachim Schnackenberg conducted the study as part of a self-funded PhD research degree at the University of the West of Scotland in collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences, Hanover, Germany. He is a trainer at the EFC Institute, specialising in the provision of training and supervision in Experience Focussed Counselling, and no fees were received for his part in the provision of EFC training and supervision during the study. Employment of Joachim Schnackenberg by the Stiftung Diakoniewerk Kropp and St Ansgar gGmbH, Kropp, who partook in the study, was offered and accepted following the completion of the study. No financial gain was expected.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. EFC Institute, Hohn, Germany

    Joachim Schnackenberg

  2. Stiftung Diakoniewerk Kropp & St Ansgar gGmbH, Kropp, Germany

    Joachim Schnackenberg

  3. DHSC Education and Training Centre/Cabinet Office, Keyll Darree, Strang, Isle of Man

    Mick Fleming

  4. University of the West of Scotland, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK

    Helen Walker

  5. Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute for Clinical and Applied Health Research (ICAHR), University of Hull, Hull, UK

    Colin R. Martin

Authors
  1. Joachim Schnackenberg
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  2. Mick Fleming
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  3. Helen Walker
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  4. Colin R. Martin
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Contributions

JS co-designed the study, undertook data collection and drafted the manuscript. CM co-designed the study, supervised the project and checked the text for accuracy; MF supervised the project and checked the text for accuracy; HW supervised the completion of the project and checked the text for accuracy.

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Correspondence to Joachim Schnackenberg.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Schnackenberg, J., Fleming, M., Walker, H. et al. Experience Focussed Counselling with Voice Hearers: Towards a Trans-diagnostic Key to Understanding Past and Current Distress—A Thematic Enquiry. Community Ment Health J 54, 1071–1081 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-018-0280-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-018-0280-6

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