Review of Therapeutic communities for addictions: Readings in theory, research and practice.

Reviews the book, Therapeutic communities for addictions: Readings in theory, research and practice edited by George DeLeon and James T. Ziegenfuss Jr. (1986). DeLeon and Ziegenfuss present a collection of readings that are representative of the current thinking about therapeutic communities. Initially the concept of therapeutic communities was exclusively utilized in psychiatric settings. Since the 1960s the therapeutic community approach has been widened and predominantly applied in the treatment of drug abusers. The therapeutic community offers a systematic approach to achieve its main rehabilitative objective, which is the reorganization of the life-style, perception, and behavior of the addict. The overall conceptualization of the book is an excellent one. One aspect that it has failed to address is the impact on the staff, usually former addicts, of prolonged work within the TC. A chapter on burnout and how to combat it within the TC would have enriched the book. This book will appeal to the researcher, to the clinician, and to psychotherapists who may need to refer clients to a TC within their geographic area. It gives a clear understanding of historical roots, functioning, and contributions to treatment of addicts. It also explores the implications of extensive longtitudinal research findings on our dealing with the addicts in our society. Certainly a worthy book to add to our libraries on clinical understanding of such a critical problem. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)