How to Conduct a Therapeutic Community Meeting

If you keep up with the news, you know that there is never a shortage of crises. From history-making natural disasters to crime sprees that terrorize communities, those experiencing such events tend to react with shock, fear and denial. At such times, it's human nature to seek the company of others in the same situation to help regain equilibrium and retake lost emotional and physical control. One of the best ways to accomplish this end is by convening one or more therapeutic meetings so healing can begin. If you're ready to step up to the plate---either because you have been asked to do so or because you're a respected community leader to whom people will listen---plan the event carefully to make certain it accomplishes its goal of healing hearts, minds and the community as a whole.

Things You'll Need

• Community leaders
• Communications vehicles and volunteers
• Therapeutic practitioners
• Venue
• Agenda
• Chairs and audiovisual equipment
• Compassionate volunteers

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Instructions

• 1

  Issue invitations to community members whose lives have been affected by the event or tragedy in question. Use as many resources as you can to get out the word: newspapers, Internet, bulletin boards, newsletters and broadcast media. Your invitation text will work most effectively if you use four dynamics employed by journalists: who, what, where and why. The invitation should include contact numbers should anyone have questions.

• 2

  Solicit professional resources. Convene a panel of people trained to respond to questions and concerns put forth by the community. All situations are unique, but consider inviting community leaders, business representatives, nonprofit agencies, law enforcement, medical professionals and other experts positioned to respond to questions and concerns.

• 3

  Invite professional therapists to help with all aspects of the proposed gathering. Solicit their help to structure the meeting in the most efficient way. In particular, ask for assistance with critical topics, such as introductory remarks, identification of the emotional issues arising from the precipitating event and suggestions for preparing handouts and guides. Ask each if he or she would be willing to be part of a follow-up network that community members can turn to for additional help.

• 4

  Book a meeting venue that is large enough to handle a high-capacity crowd. If your venue choices are limited, book the community therapeutic meeting for two consecutive nights. Churches, theaters, gyms, community centers, auditoriums and other such buildings are ideal choices. Try to get donations of chairs and audiovisual equipment so you don't have to look for the money to rent them.

• 5

  Inform the press of the community meeting and offer to save seats at the venue for reporters and photographers so they have access to speakers. Appoint a community member as press liaison so reporters don't have to waste time trying to find people who can answer questions and provide up-to-date information.

• 6

  Call the meeting to order at the appointed time. Stick to a set agenda, but make the "business" portion of the community meeting as brief as possible. Community healing can't be accomplished by asking people to sit and listen to speakers. Offering community members opportunities to vent feelings, ask questions, find answers and listen to the experiences of others is the reason a therapeutic community meeting is held, so focus on that mission.

• 7

  Use whiteboards, overhead projectors and computers as communication aids. Have a volunteer monitor the whiteboards to record concerns, comments and recommendations put forth by attendees. Some of these may be irrational or not feasible, but every idea must be respected and honored. Thank attendees for their insights and assure the community that meeting organizers will do all that is within their power to implement as many as possible.

• 8

  Ask compassionate volunteers to be on standby to look after community members who break down, become distraught or lose control as a result of the meeting's proceedings. Have water, tissue and other comforts on hand for distraught community members.

• 9

  Announce a follow-up date before concluding the meeting. In the midst of tragedy, offering the structure of a follow-up meeting offers a wealth of therapeutic benefit. A second meeting date reassures attendees that the community is committed to their welfare and offers a platform for future dialogue and additional networking opportunities that infuse attendees with this hope: When a community works together, there's no crisis that can't be overcome.