Description:

Dr Erickson’s work with individuals, couples and families has been well explored, but what is often overlooked is his skill in information gathering and interventions that connected a client to their community. Communities are not what they were in his time and attempts to do this without first building a healing community can be fraught.

This workshop will explore ways that we can be leaders in our community and create groups that are inclusive, connecting and healing. The skills we already have as therapists are the skills that are needed, and this workshop will explore how we can translate those skills to build connection and empower others to be humanly available to their peers.

The term “Barefoot Therapist” was borrowed from Barefoot Doctors, an initiative developed in China in the 1930’s to address the inequity of health care between urban and rural communities. Farmers were trained in basic health care and disease prevention, with good effect.

Barefoot Therapy, distilled from an Ericksonian approach, can be taught to lay people simply and easily. The combination of these two arms bring a synergistic cohesion to build resources that allow communities to connect to their most vulnerable members.

Educational Objectives:

1. Name three skills therapists use that are essential for building communities.
2. Name three outcomes of the World Health Organization’s mental health Gap Action Program (mhGAP).
3. Describe the three elements of the Barefoot therapy approach.

*Sessions may be edited for content and to preserve confidentiality*