The Soteria Model as an Alternative to Psychiatric Hospitalization

Soteria is a model for the treatment of psychosis within the community. Established originally by the USA psychiatrist Loren Mosher in the 1970’s, and drawing its inspiration from such thinkers and clinicians as Harry Stack... [ view full abstract ]

Soteria is a model for the treatment of psychosis within the community. Established originally by the USA psychiatrist Loren Mosher in the 1970’s, and drawing its inspiration from such thinkers and clinicians as Harry Stack Sullivan and R.D. Laing, other Soterias have been established in the world. A Soteria home provides a non-pathologizing environment stressing respect for people in extreme emotional states and for their experiences. Staff members are chosen on the basis of their ability to relate to and be with people in these states in a non-judgmental way. Rather than providing formal treatment sessions, all activities in the home, and the interactions amongst and between staff and residents, provide the therapeutic milieu. The trappings of conventional psychiatric hospitalization and its potentially stigmatizing elements - hierarchy, diagnosis, and psychopharmacology - are de-emphasized. All treatment decisions are arrived at consensually. We will discuss here the historical, theoretical, and research background to Soteria, as well as Soteria homes in Israel, Switzerland and the UK.