Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re considering the training, or are curious about Voice Dialogue, you may have practical or personal questions.
Below are some of the most common things people ask — both about the training itself and about the Voice Dialogue approach.
VOICE DIALOGUE
What is the difference between Voice Dialogue and other forms of parts work?
Voice Dialogue is one of the original methods for working with the inner world through parts or selves. What makes it distinctive is that the selves are contacted directly and embodied, rather than only discussed conceptually. The facilitator supports each self to speak from its own experience, and the work focuses strongly on energetic separation and the development of the Aware Ego process. The aim is not to change or rank parts, but to become more conscious in relationship to them.
Do I need to know my parts before coming to a session?
No. You do not need prior knowledge or a clear map of your inner world. The session helps reveal which parts are present and how they are organising your experience.
Is Voice Dialogue the same as acting or role play?
No. Although different parts are invited to speak, the work is not performance. It is a facilitated process of contacting real inner dynamics and allowing them to express their perspective more directly.
Will I be asked to relive trauma?
The work can touch vulnerable material, but it is not about forcing disclosure or pushing into overwhelm. Pacing, consent, and the growth of awareness are central. The intention is to support contact and clarity, not to flood the system.
Can Voice Dialogue help with relationships?
Yes. Voice Dialogue can be especially helpful in understanding how your parts shape intimacy, conflict, protection, attraction, judgement, and attachment patterns. It can bring more awareness to the roles and bonding dynamics that repeat in relationships.
Is this only for people in therapy or professional practice?
No. Some people come to Voice Dialogue because they work with others and want to deepen their understanding and facilitation. Others come because they want more awareness, freedom, and self-understanding in their own lives. Both are welcome.
What happens after a session?
Often, even a single VD session can bring about real change in your life. Once you have heard from a voice that was previously disowned (repressed), that awareness will remain with you and give you greater freedom of choice in your life.
In general, there is more awareness of which selves are active in daily life, more recognition of inner tension or polarity, and sometimes a new sense of space around familiar patterns. The changes may be immediate or gradual, but the process tends to continue unfolding after the session itself.
Is Voice Dialogue similar to IFS?
Voice Dialogue and Internal Family Systems (IFS) both work with the understanding that we are made up of different parts.
In both approaches, these parts are welcomed rather than fixed or removed, and there is a movement towards more awareness, choice, and inner relationship.
In Voice Dialogue, parts are contacted directly and embodied. Rather than speaking about a part, you are supported to speak as that part, so its experience can be heard more clearly.
There is also a strong emphasis on working with polarity, and on developing the Aware Ego process — the capacity to stand in relationship to different parts without identifying with any one of them.
Some people experience Voice Dialogue as more embodied and relational in its approach, while IFS offers a more structured internal map.
Both can be complementary, and some practitioners draw from both approaches.
You can read more about this in a blog Christie Animas and a colleague of her’s have written after exchanging Voice Dialogue sessions with an IFS ones, as well as in a longer article by Miriam Dyak on the international Voice Dialogue website.
THE TRAINING
Is this therapy?
This is a training in a method based on a model of consciousness.
It can be deeply personal and can have therapeutic effects, but it is not a substitute for therapy.
We will be clear about scope, consent, and responsible use throughout the training.
Do I need previous Voice Dialogue experience?
No.
You do not need previous training experience to join Year One.
There is one prerequisite: you need to have at least one one-to-one Voice Dialogue session with one of the facilitators before joining.
Why is there a prerequisite session?
Voice Dialogue is experiential. A session gives you a real sense of the method.
It gives us a chance to meet you and understand what you are looking for.
It also helps us check that the training is suitable and supportive for you, and that the group container will be a good fit.
What if I miss a weekend?
We ask that you commit to all four weekends of the training.
If you miss a weekend, it may be possible to join that module the following year, depending on availability.
Because the training builds progressively, attending all weekends is strongly recommended.
What is the time commitment?
Year One includes four residential weekends.
Each weekend runs from Friday 7:00pm to Sunday 5:00pm.
Before each weekend, you will receive short reading (articles or excerpts).
There may also be optional practice invitations between weekends, designed to support integration rather than create pressure.
Will I get personal sessions during the weekends?
The weekends focus on learning the method through teaching, demonstration, and facilitation practice.
We will demonstrate sessions, and some participants may be invited into demonstrations.
Participants do not receive full personal sessions as part of the training weekends.
To get the most from the training, we strongly recommend having ongoing Voice Dialogue sessions alongside it.
How many people will be in the group?
The group size is a maximum of 20 people.
How much does it cost?
Pricing is per weekend:
Concession: £300
Standard: £320
Abundant: £370
The training is booked as a full-year commitment across all four weekends.
If you need a payment plan, contact us and we can discuss what is possible.
Where is the training held?
Cleeve House, outside Bath. https://cleeve-house.com/
Travel, accommodation, food, and accessibility details will be provided after booking.
What is the three year pathway?
The full Voice Dialogue curriculum is a three-year pathway.
Year One focuses on personal inner navigation.
Year Two focuses on relating.
Year Three focuses on beginning to offer the work.
Is there certification?
There is a certification process at the end of the third year.
Certification is awarded based on competence as recognised by the training team and the group process.
How do I apply?
The application process includes:
– booking your prerequisite session
– submitting an application
– a short conversation if needed
– confirming your place