Milieu Therapy Essay

664 Words3 Pages
milieu therapy treatment, usually in a psychiatric hospital, that emphasizes the provision of an environment and activities appropriate to the patient's emotional and interpersonal needs. Founders August Aichorn, Bruno Bettelheim, Fritz Redl and David Wineman were among the early pioneers in using Milieu Therapy. Definition A type of treatment in which the patient's social environment is manipulated for his benefit. Description Therapeutic community, in which patients stay at a residence where they lead a highly structured life. This approach can be used for substance abusers, or people with severe disorders that impair their ability to function in normal living. Therapeutic Goal The goal for the therapist is to translate his or her psychodynamic understanding and emotional experience of the client and the team into clinical interventions that have a practical, positive and measurable effect on the client's ability to plan and pursue his or her life. Treatment Strategies In all of their work with clients, milieu therapists draw upon a psychodynamic understanding of client experience and behavior. For example, in response to a client who is persistently disruptive in therapy groups, the milieu therapist might offer an interpretation, set a limit or ask the client to leave, encourage other group members to give the client feedback on the effect of the behavior on the group, and/or call upon the rest of the staff to consider what is being expressed for the client group through this behavior. Similarly, when a client refuses to apply for a job, after agreeing to do so as part of his or her treatment plan, the milieu therapist must determine the most effective intervention. In the work of case management, milieu therapists encourage clients to practice new ways of engaging with others and the world. Essentially, the clinician
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