A Two-Day Conference organised by the Catherine McAuley School of
Nursing and Midwifery & the School of Applied Social Studies
University College Cork, in association with the Critical Voices Network
Ireland.
Mental Health Press Release -
Mental Health Conference Prog
The conference offered opportunities to consider:
- Meanings of madness
- Broadened understandings of expressions of madness
- Creative approaches to engaging with and responding to madness
This conference, now in its fifth year, is unique and was free for
all participants and it involved people from diverse backgrounds
(self-experience, survivors, professionals, academics, carers)
presenting, discussing and debating critical and creative perspectives
on and beyond the dominant bio-medical approach. The 2010 conference saw
the launch of the Critical Voices Network Ireland (CVNI), a network of
people interested in considering and developing responses to human
distress, which are creative, enabling, respectful and firmly grounded
in human rights. The conference will include an open forum to discuss
the on-going work of the CVNI.
Keynote Speakers :
Liz Brosnan has
just completed her PhD through a Government of Ireland scholarship at
the University of Limerick. Her research explored User Involvement in
Irish Mental Health Services. Liz has both personal and professional
experience of dealing with "madness".
Gail Hornstein,
Professor of Psychology, Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts, USA. Her
research and writings – grounded in an understanding of the mind, based
on lived experience – challenge fundamental assumptions about ‘mental
illness’ and treatment.
Irene van de Giessen,
Expert by Experience employed at the Admiraal de Ruyter Hospital,
Vlissingen, the Netherlands and Owner of the Convalescent Talent Agency.
John Read, Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Liverpool, UK. He has written extensively in the area of trauma and psychosis.
Doug Ross, artist, founding member of Renew. Personal experience of sustained recovery from addiction and psycho-spiritual distress.
Teresa Tuohy, Health Research Board funded PhD
Candidate at Trinity College Dublin. Her research title is ‘Mothers’
Voices: A study of mothering with women experiencing mental health
problems’. Teresa has many years’ experience working in mental health
practice, education and recovery.
