10/31/2023
Integrative Community Therapy, or ICT, alleviates mental health issues through the use of community conversation. These conversations are guided by trained moderators to allow individuals to share, discuss and heal from the everyday challenges that life can bring.
Each ICT session takes place in 5 steps:
1. Welcoming: Participants come together either virtually or in person, greet each other, and share something for which they are grateful. The guidelines to create safe and comfortable conversation are shared by the facilitator, such as speaking in the “I” form, & no judging or giving advice is allowed.
2. Selecting the Session’s Topic: Individuals are asked to share the “pebble in their shoe”, or a challenge that affects their daily living, whether small or large. The group as a whole decides which pebble resonates most with the majority in order to continue discussing it.
3. Deeper Dive: The person whose “pebble” is chosen is asked to provide more details, and participants are invited to ask questions. This creates a sense of belonging, and it is through this conversation that shared support is created.
4. Sharing: Participants are asked to share their own experiences with the “pebble”, or challenge. Sharing may look like responding, sharing a poem, music, or simply supportive silence. Whatever the case, there’s a deep sense of belonging that comes from being seen, heard, and affirmed.
5. Appreciations: The conclusion is a powerful time to reflect on the time spent together and extend direct appreciation to one another for what was shared, learned from and meaningful.
