The authors present a model of inpatient community meetings conducted as
large-group interpretive psychotherapy. The model focuses on the
examination of relationships between patients and staff in the here-and-
now and the patient group's maladaptive ways of interpreting staff members'
behavior. The group leader and other staff members listen to patients'
comments and questions and identify underlying group themes that reflect
how patients are experiencing their relationship to staff. This model is
useful even on short-term, acute inpatient units because it can provide an
up-to-date monitor of the milieu, illuminate undesirable patient and staff
behavior, uncover nontherapeutic activities or attitudes of staff, help
improve patients' compliance with treatment, and reduce tension on the
unit.
Abstract Teaser