Integrated Community Therapy


Integrative Community Therapy (ICT) is a method of supporting individual and community health through group conversation. Inspired by Terapia Comunitária Integrativa, which is globally recognized as a first-line of defense in mental health support, ICT uses guided conversation between members of a community to create a safe space for participants to share life experiences and wisdom. Each person becomes their own therapist by listening to the life stories that are told, sharing in the responsibility of seeking solutions, and overcoming daily challenges in a warm, welcoming environment. This accessible, effective method does not rely on referrals, doctors, insurance, or wait lists, and offers immediate, no-cost access to any person needing mental health support.


The Global Impact

36

Countries in which ICT and TCI are used as a first line of defense for mental health grievances

12,000

Number of ICT and TCI facilitators worldwide, leading the conversation in rounds everyday

2 Million

Individuals who have had their lives impacted by the power of Terapia Comunitária Integrativa

What makes ICT so effective?

A Few Reasons...

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Self-Prescribed Humancare

ICT is self-prescribed, which means there are no doctors involved, no insurance needed, no wait lists, no referrals required, and no hassle to get help. Learn to become your own therapist through the sharing of wisdom in ICT. You hold the power to tap into the antidote and synergy that community offers.

Benefit from Open Group Dialogue

Sometimes feeling understood has nothing to do with speaking, and everything to do with listening. In ICT, you'll hear from people of all ages and walks of life, so that no matter which Enneagram you identify with, you can leave feeling fulfilled even without saying a single word.

Peer to Peer Support

ICT facilitators are there to guide the conversation, but the content is purely peer to peer. Intentional conversation on a peer level allows you to open up, exchange wisdom, and benefit from others' lived experiences without judgement, pressure, or professional intervention.

5 Steps of Integrated Community Therapy

Welcome

We'll discuss the rules of the session, express our gratitude, and engage in a warm-up to bring positive, welcoming energy to the group.

Identify

Participants will share "the pebble in their shoe", or what grievances they are experiencing. The group then selects one of the topics or personal challenges to explore further.

Explore

The person who suggested the chosen topic gives context to their situation or struggle, then the topic is opened up for group members to ask clarifying questions.

Share

The group is invited to discuss the topic. Using “I” statements, the group provides guidance by sharing their own narrative and experience.

Closure

The facilitator poses a wrap up of the group's sharing. The group is encouraged to thank others directly for their thoughts, as well as sharing the sense of being heard, gratitude for learning from others that share our experiences and being lifted in community support and belonging.

Become a Facilitator For Your Community or Organization

The U.S. is experiencing a mental health emergency due to a lack of access to providers, insurance, and out of pocket costs.  There is hope with a model of peer-led and community-based support.


Visible Hands Collaborative is introducing a powerful tool for communities to combat the mental health emergency, and it's being launched in the U.S. for the first time ever. ICT mobilizes the resources of a community to take care of themselves and others.


 Community can heal.


Training is currently underwritten by foundation support and provides thorough online learning, coaching, peer support and ongoing educational development.

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"It's been kind of a slow burn to get to a place where I can confidently say I’ve started to embody ICT – not just in sessions, but in my personal relationships and orientation towards what we’re doing here on this big rock called Earth. I can say that at a cellular level, I’ve become a better version of myself through this process."

Amber S., ICT Facilitator

Articles on ICT

Integrative Community Therapy creates a forum for collective healing and proliferation of resiliency

Why Integrative Community Therapy?

February 1, 2023
Integrative Community Therapy creates a forum for collective healing and proliferation of resiliency.
Integrative Community Therapy: Resources and Publications

ICT Resources and Publications

January 25, 2023
Integrative Community Therapy: Resources and Publications
About ICT; What is Integrative Community Therapy and why should it matter to psychologists, therapis

Integrative Community Therapy (ICT): What is it?

January 25, 2023
About ICT; What is Integrative Community Therapy and why should it matter to psychologists, therapists, and communities?
Early research supports the use of Integrative Community Therapy as a first-line defense in treating

Integrative Community Therapy Supported by Early Research

By Team VHC • January 25, 2023
Early research supports the use of Integrative Community Therapy as a first-line defense in treating mental health complaints.
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