“Soteria” (Greek for deliverance) was a home in a California suburb during the 1970s which provided community-based psychiatric care and was created as an alternative reply to mainstream mental health practices.

For not much money most of the distressed and distressing people recovered.  They were provided with social and community support but the use of drugs was minimized.  Rarely, and only with consent, were psychiatric medications or “tranquilizers” taken.

At Soteria, the philosophy was one that emphasized a shared humanity, rather than how different the "mad" are from "us."  The caregiver’s goal was not to “do to” them but to “be with” them in a social environment where people were related to, listened to, and understood during their altered states of consciousness. 

Psychiatrist Loren Mosher, his long-term colleague Voyce Hendrix and their dedicated co-workers were the parents of Soteria House created it and cared for the people who came to them.

Dr. Loren Mosher’s central message has been: "If you treat people with dignity and respect and want to understand what's going on, want to get yourself inside their shoes, you can do it."

The Soteria team identified five crucial steps to take to reclaim lives:

• connecting

• partnering

• communal identification

• extending to outside relationships

• network balance

   

  By Eva Scholle

  MovementToChange teaches and mentors people in Healing and Wellness

  www.MovementToChange.com