What does schizophrenia actually feel like…from the inside?
This training invites caseworkers and counsellors to move beyond diagnostic criteria and into the lived experience of individuals navigating schizophrenia every day. Grounded in first-person perspectives, this session offers a nuanced understanding of psychosis, stigma, recovery, and the therapeutic relationship.
Participants will gain insight into what it can be like to hear voices, experience delusions, and manage the often invisible impact of cognitive and emotional challenges. The training highlights how fear, confusion, shame, and resilience coexist and how service providers can unintentionally either support or hinder recovery through their responses.
Through Lived Experience, reflective exercises, and practical strategies, this session will help professionals better understand:
· The subjective experience of psychosis (e.g., how voices can feel real, persuasive, or even protective)
· The impact of stigma and systemic barriers, including how language and assumptions affect trust
· The importance of safety, dignity, and autonomy in building therapeutic relationships
· The role of hope, identity, and recovery beyond symptom reduction
Participants will leave with concrete tools to:
· Respond to distressing symptoms with empathy rather than correction
· Build trust with clients who may feel misunderstood or surveilled
· Work collaboratively without reinforcing power struggles
· Integrate recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and person-centered approaches
Instructor: Gord Singer & Priyan Ramanihar
Mode(s): Instructor-Led (Live In-Person)
Length: One (1) day
Cost: $160 per person
Target Group: All
Prerequisite: IDEA TC recommends that participants complete the Introduction to Case Management course before registering for the Advanced Case Management course.