FAQs

1. Surely Giving Voice (GV) is no different from simply singing? 

It’s primarily about forming an intimate and dynamic relationship with a song, and reaping the benefits in life. Of course, singing of itself is immensely beneficial, yet ‘simply singing’ can rarely do more than scratch the surface of what song can offer. And perhaps paradoxically, the GV Process doesn’t necessarily involve singing! When it does, as Iris and Abdul – who both sing a lot – say respectively, “It’s different from ‘ordinary’ singing”, and “It’s something else entirely …”. 

2. Sometimes I feel too ill to do anything- how could this work for me? 

GV can be done silently, and we can learn to do it anywhere, including when ill in bed … which is largely how, and where it was created. Many people with a variety of illnesses or disabilities have reported benefit. The GV Process enables us to connect with song when nothing else feels possible – which is in fact how Jill discovered it. 

3. Why don’t you have a YouTube channel with recordings I can listen to? 

It’s because of what’s involved in unlocking the power of a song (which is explained in our comprehensive guide – Unlocking the Power of Song: A Companion for Challenging Times).  The book explains how to access recordings via our website, plus how to become ready to ‘receive’ them.   

4. Why would I want to do this? – I already love singing! 

As Jill says, “I did too – and then I discovered something even more amazing through GV … and it enhanced my singing, as it has done for other lovers of singing too (see FAQ 1)”.

5. What could it offer me? – I can’t sing! 

Everyone deserves – and can forge – a deep relationship with song, whether we believe we can sing or not. Many have changed their mind through experiencing GV either through attending one or more sessions or through using the book.

6. Why on earth would I want to do it on my own? 

Jill says if she hadn’t become so ill, she would have asked the same question! Since it’s such an intimate process, it needs to be explored on our own; even with a trained facilitator, we can’t go very far unless we do this.

7. Is it therapy? 

It’s a self-directed learning process. It’s not therapy, though it is therapeutic. 

8. Is it about healing? 
People often make comments such as “It’s very healing”, or “I feel it’s helping to heal me inside”. As Freda Davis says in her poem (quoted in our book), healing is inevitable when we become more at one – which is something the GV Process facilitates, whatever our state of health.

9. Is it compatible with other approaches? 
The relationship between the GV Process and other approaches including Yoga, NeuroLinguistic Programming, Emotional Freedom Technique, and even Homoeopathy, has been remarked on by a number of participants.   

10. Is it compatible with my religion/spiritual practice/secular beliefs? 
It’s a contemporary approach based on contemporary needs, whatever tradition, if any, we may espouse. Many feel it enhances their moral and/or spiritual commitment and practice, and it’s been found to resonate with a variety of religious or spiritual approaches, including all the world’s main religions, as well as shamanism and other forms of paganism. People who use GV may include Christians, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Humanists, Pagans, Agnostics. See our blog post for what some have said in relation to this question. 

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