Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Therapeutic Community Program - Research
Therapeutic Community Program - Research
Therapeutic Community Program - Research
People will usually find it easier to deal with their problems if they are in a supportive environment.
Atherapeutic community program aims to create the right conditions for people to change
undesirable behaviors and learn new ways of doing things. It can be very useful for helping the
individual deal with problems such as addiction. The focus is on the life of the individual and not just
on their specific symptoms. This type of environment is artificially created, but the individual will be
able to take what they learn and use this in the outside world.
This is a type of community where people live together as a form of therapy. Such environments are
drug free and highly structured. Within such a community the individual can feel safe to explore new
coping mechanisms and learn to cooperate with other people. It is like a miniature society in which
members can grow and develop.
Milieu Therapy
The therapeutic community is closely associated with Milieu therapy. This is a form of psychotherapy
where the emphasis is on using the environment as a therapeutic tool. The word milieu is French
and meansmiddle place or middle ground. The idea of a middle ground tends to conjure up images
of a safe place, and this is exactly what such a therapeutic setting is meant to be. Here the individual
is viewed as possessing the inner strengths to change their own behavior. Their surroundings will
encourage them to take advantage of these inner strengths and put them to work. The lofty goal of
milieu therapy is that every element of the individuals environment should be therapeutic in nature.
* People within such a community have a much better idea of how their behavior impacts other
people
* Members can develop leadership skills
* The individual will develop a better understanding of other people
* Life is highly structured and this means that members can feel safe
* The individual is empowered and so able to take responsibility for their own behavior
* Members are motivated to solve problems due to challenges faced in the community
* There is a focus on living rather than dealing with symptoms
* The confidence of the individual increases as they see their importance within the community
* Members learn how to corporate with others
* The individual feels that they have some control over the rules that govern their life in the program
* Membership of such a community is often a joyful experience
If past experience of doing something led to a positive outcome, the individual will be more likely to
do it again in the future. This explains why people begin abusing substances; once they associate
alcohol or drugs with reward they will have an increasing desire to abuse again in the future. Reward
and punishment can be used as tools to encourage people to adopt healthier behaviors. It has led to
techniques such as aversion therapy and token economy.
* Overt sensitization involves pairing maladaptive behavior with undesirable consequences. A good
example of this would be the drug Antabuse which is given to alcoholics to encourage them to stop
drinking. If they touch alcohol while taking this drug it will make them very sick. Electrical shocks can
also be used and this method may involve less risk than Antabuse.
* Covert sensitization is another type of aversion therapy. Here there is no attempt to pair an actual
negative consequence with the behavior, but instead the individual just mentally pictures a negative
consequence.
* Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy works by helping the client understand their thoughts and emotions.
The individual learns that while they might not always be able to control what happens in the outside
world, they will be able to control their thoughts and feelings about it.
* A token economy is where the individual receives rewards for good behavior. This is usually in the
form of tokens which they can later exchange for items or privileges.
* Motivational interviewing involves challenging and encouraging the addict to take action to change
their behavior. The client is encouraged to gain a deeper understanding of their addiction, and the
means by which they can escape.
* Role playing allows the client to improve their understanding of social interactions and alter their
behavior in response to this. A good example of this would be using role play to develop drink refusal
skills.
* Behavior modification is where the client receives a reward for desirable behavior.
* Self-monitoring is where the individual details their actions in a journal throughout the day. This
journal is then usually shared with the therapist. A good example of this would be the client who is
asked to record how much they are drinking.
* Scheduling of activities involves the client agreeing to take part in certain activities before the
next session. These activities will be of a positive nature where the individual will be encouraged to
change their normal behaviors.
* Behavior contracts is where the individual signs a contract not to engage in the undesirable
activity again. If they break the contract there will usually be consequences attached to this. There
can also be incentives for sticking to the terms of the contract.
By examining thoughts and feelings more closely the client, with the help of the therapist, is able to
understand themselves a lot better. One of the advantages of CBT is that it can lead to
breakthroughs in a relatively short period of time although this is not always the case. During the
treatment the client is encouraged to examine those thoughts that are leading them to engage in
substance abuse. Once they see that their flawed thinking has been the source of much of their
problems they will find it a lot easier to break away from addiction.
There is no doubt that behavior therapies can help the individual beat their addiction. This is why
such techniques have been widely adapted in rehabs and other treatment programs. CBT receives a
lot of praise for its ability to get the individual to take charge of their own life. Such empowerment
can not only help them escape addiction, but to also build a successful life in recovery.