ABSTRACT
This chapter consolidates the authors’ views about the central role relationships play in voice hearing experiences. The nature of relationships between voices and a voice hearer cannot only dictate the quality of a voice hearer’s life but also may act as a mirror to the way a voice hearer may relate to the world. The relationship between the internal world and the external world is what voices speak about. Difficult or harmful relationships in the past or present often become energised conflicts that a voice hearer experiences with their voices. The Tripartite Relationship Theory offers a guide and a framework to identify the elements of relating to voices, self and others that maintain conflict with voices and encouragement to embrace a stance that engages self-agency to quell conflict and so create more internal calm and harmony. This chapter emphasises that this is not necessarily an easy task and requires some courage and diligence, but small movements to foster helpful relating can bring hope for continued movement toward intrapersonal and interpersonal harmony.
