Voice Dialogue
Zohar Berchik in California with Drs Hal and Sidra Stone, founders of Voice Dialogue
* Phone, FaceTime and Skype consultations available.
Have you ever experienced loving and hating someone at the same time?
Or maybe you have felt very competent and in control in one environment but rather childlike in another?
Do you find yourself attracted to people who are totally opposite to you, yet those exact same qualities end up getting under your skin?
Is there a voice in your head that constantly criticises what you do?
How do we make sense of this?
Voice dialogue was developed by psychologists Drs Hal and Sidra Stone as a way of explaining these seeming contradictions. It provides a non-judgmental means through which to work with them to resolution.
We think we are one person with a specific personality and a certain set of traits. But scratch beneath the surface and you will find that within each of us is a multitude of parts who function rather autonomously. Each rising to the forefront on an as needed basis. This is entirely normal.
For example, a business tycoon who does not suffer fools lightly can be a pussycat at home.
A doting mother in one context can be a wild seductress in another.
Regardless of context, a welcome matt will be laid out for some parts but not for others. We tend to value and identify with our more successful and socially acceptable parts, while rejecting the parts that don’t do as well in securing love and acceptance.
So for example, if you are high-functioning, ambitious and responsible, you will likely reject your more relaxed, carefree and vulnerable parts by dismissing them as lazy, irresponsible and weak.
This is natural and supports your living in line with your values. But it can also be limiting.
What happens when a “responsible person” needs a break or a “free spirit” needs to make a practical decision?
The line between personality and prison sentence can be fine.
Voice Dialogue is a wonderful method for becoming conscious of these various parts in us; their concerns, values, needs and gifts. It allows us to physically feel and become familiar with what each of them is about. With this familiarity comes the freedom to engage with life in fuller, richer and more informed ways. It is not about taking anything away from who you are. Voice Dialogue is aimed at providing you with access to a broader range of options.
It is an engaged way of working that can be fun and is often filled with surprises!
A good place to learn more about Voice Dialogue, is on the website of NSW based, Astra Niedra who is exceptionally talented in writing about Voice Dialogue. Alternatively, click here to go to Voice Dialogue International, the website of Voice Dialogue Founders Dr’s Hal and Sidra Stone.
The Australian Centre for Voice Dialogue also runs regular training workshops in Voice Dialogue.
Book a Voice Dialogue facilitation by clicking here.
