Citation

Pearce, S. (2015), "", Therapeutic Communities: The International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, Vol. 36 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/TC-02-2015-0010

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Therapeutic Communities: The International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, Volume 36, Issue 1

Welcome to the Proceedings of the Windsor Conference 2014, the Annual Conference of The Consortium for Therapeutic Communities, the parent body of Therapeutic Communities. The conference took as its theme Rex Haigh’s “Quintessence”, a way of understanding the process of engagement and change in therapeutic communities (TC) (the original paper 1999 was published in an updated form in issue 34.1; Haigh, 2013). This issue contains the keynote talks given at the conference, with the exception of Hanna Pickard’s paper on Narrative and Agency, published elsewhere (Pickard, forthcoming). Other papers given at the conference will be published in future issues.

The quintessence comprises five elements thought to be necessary for therapeutic progression in TC. They also sum up some of the central philosophical elements of the TC approach. The first paper is both an introduction to quintessence and reflections on the way it relates to the approaches outlined in the other papers, and was also given as a plenary at the conference.

Attachment, the first element of the quintessence, is addressed in Gwen Adshead’s paper. Containment, the second, is represented by Penny Camplings paper, in which she relates it to her recent work on kindness. Communication, the third, is illustrated by Val Jackson’s paper on Open Dialogue, an approach to psychosis from Finland that relies on communication more than medication. Involvement and Inclusion is represented by Claire Ritchie’s paper on Psychologically Informed Environments, an approach that has grown out of therapeutic community method. Agency and Empowerment, the fifth and final quintessence, was addressed by Hanna Pickard; her paper is available at: www.hannapickard.com

The papers presented in this issue provide an overview both of some current thinking in TC theory, and illustrate ways in which it is influencing thought and practice more widely. I hope you enjoy them.

Steve Pearce

References

Haigh, R. (2013), “The quintessence of a therapeutic environment”, Therapeutic Communities: The International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, Vol. 34 No. 1, pp. 6-15

Pickard, H. (forthcoming), “Stories of recovery: the role of narrative and hope in overcoming PTSD and PD”, in Fulford, K.W.M. et al. (Eds), Oxford Handbook of Psychiatric Ethics, Oxford University Press, Oxford