Community Psychology Commons^™

The Counseling Center As A Healing Community : The Development Of A Model, Talitha Day Fair

Dissertations

In a pluralistic society alternative models for delivery of mental health services are needed to enhance theeffectiveness of professional therapy, to provide appropriate care for persons from various subcultures, and to increase job satisfaction and reduce the level of stress for therapists. This study proposes an alternative modelbased on the concept of a healing community.

Five alternative mental health programs qualifying as healing communities were observed to identify thetherapeutic dynamics in such settings. Communities observed were a self-contained village with mentally handicapped and normal adults, a church that functions as a community, a juvenile center, a self-help group, and a …