You are about to read stories that two women who are in recovery at a Therapeutic Community in Melbourne are willing to share with you. You will be privy to experiences as personal journeys are revealed. It will challenge you to move out of your comfort zone to consider the perspectives and ideas put forth. You may well ask--what is a Therapeutic Community? According to De Leon (1995)--"The quintessential element of the therapeutic community is community. What distinguishes the T.C. from other treatment approaches (and other communities) is the purposive use of the community as the primary method for facilitating social and psychological change in individuals. Thus all activities in a T. C. are designed to produce therapeutic and educational change in individual participants, and all participants are mediators of this change." The therapeutic community has a minimum intervention focus involving a diversity of treatment elements such as: group counselling, case management, basic living skills, health and fitness, life skills groups, issues awareness groups, spirituality, education, work and work ethics, integration and a wilderness and adventure therapy program. Much of what is accomplished in this latter part of the program involves mentoring and an element of the journey perspective. The Windana Society, home of these women, believes that growth is an ongoing learning process and that it will be sustained by providing a safe caring environment where new behaviour and ideas can be freely experienced in the open, honest interaction with the whole Windana Community. Windana is holistic in its attitudes and universal in its approach and provides as many facilities, options and stratagems as possible. It will ensure that not just one aspect of life or one single basis for change will dominate the whole. The Therapeutic community represents a highly structured environment with defined boundaries, both moral and ethical. It employs imposed sanctions and penalties as well as earned advancement of status and privileges as part of a recovery and growth process. Being part of something greater than oneself is an important factor in facilitating positive growth. Case Study 1-Edwina Bain, May 2000 Recovery Life is a wonder, This I do ponder. The meaning of things, And what they can bring. Some are addicted, Others not so conflicted. Is this so? Cos I need to know. I need to understand, Why life's not so grand, For the likes of me. Do I fail to see? My life's been a horror show, Driven by the need to know, Everything. A search for truth, In which I am the sleuth. I'm not a shrinker, Just a deep thinker. My desire so great, It made my insides ache. All this I forsake, I'll not partake, In using any longer, I think I've got stronger. It's my time I've discovered, Now I've recovered, A life that is mine, I've taken the time. I hope it will last, Else I'm dying--fast. The adventure's well over, With using as my lover. Edwina Bain May 2000 I wrote this poem when I was assessing where I was in recovery. I wanted to make a testament to others and myself about what recovery has meant to me. This poem is in some way a statement of who I am, how I feel about using and recovery, and an affirmation that I have indeed take the time I needed to take to get to know myself. I came from a large dysfunctional family. A stranger sexually abused me. It began when I was four and a half years old. This continued every Saturday afternoon until I was seven. When the sexual abuse stopped, abuse from my: family took over, most especially from my mother. She emotionally and physically abused me. She was violent and sadistically cruel. I was deprived of food, commenced paid work at eight years of age, and when it suited, severely beaten. I was expected to prepare meals for and complete set tasks for my family. Both parents were alcoholics. …