CONNECTION IN THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITIES

The success of therapeutic community treatment is based on trust. Trus t underlies the willingness of residents to endorse and profit from co nfrontations of their denial. Lack of trust can be seen to underlie th e high dropout rate of many therapeutic communities. Social learning t heory, which is usually cited as a theoretical foundation for therapeu tic communities, does not explain the role of trust. Instead, we need an explanation of trust based on a logic of emotion rather than the co gnitive, calculating logic of social learning. This logic can be found in the process of connection. Trust, in the theoretical orientation o f connection, grows out of the resident's perception that community me mbers care. This caring is revealed in their empathy for the resident, their willingness to take responsibility for helping the resident, an d their nurturance, The resident's level of trust determines his (her) willingness to be open and responsive to the community. The implicati ons of the connection process for the development of trust between new residents and old residents and between residents and staff are devel oped.