Voices of Experience: Narratives of Mental Health Survivors

"The book has much to offer therapists who counsel those recovering and their carers, although its primary target is other mental health professionals and researchers." (Therapy Today, 1 September 2011)

"They would also read of the value of the support provided by others who demonstrate empathy and compassion. I highly recommend this book and am happy to say a copy is now available in UWE's Glenside library." (University of the West of England, 1 September 2011)

"Appealing to both practitioners and patients, the book features stories and poems on surviving/recovering from mental illness, coping strategies, and recovery/discovery (the latter term preferred by some)." (Booknews, 1 February 2011)

"One of the unique strengths of the book is that it straddles the usual divide between "professional" and "survivor" literature. Whilst the contributors are all service users or survivors, many are also workers or academics, and the thoughtful introduction relates the contributors' ideas to current debates... I would recommend this book to all service users, survivors, mental health workers and students." (Open Mind, July/August 2011)

"First-person narrative accounts of illness form a substantial proportion of the literature... (these) narratives form an interesting and well-edited collection." (Journal of Mental Health, December 2011)

"A most welcome emphasis on the human meaning of mental health problems and the priceless value of human support. This book reminds us of the drama of everyday life and the authors of Voices of Experience invite us to become the heroes of our own stories".
—Professor Phil Barker, University of Dundee, Scotland, UK