Integrative Community Therapy in the approach to mental health in primary care: an experience report

Abstract

The Integrative Community Therapy (ICT), in addition to being a therapeutic method, is considered a community space to user embracement, where people can share their sufferings, life experiences, knowledge, problems, tough situations, victories and overcoming stories. The objective of this work is to report the experience and present the process of an ICT group’s insertion in a primary care unit located in Curitiba-PR. The themes and achievements presented by the participants are discussed, as well as the role of the primary care professional as a therapist in an ICT circle, and its reverberations in the workplace and clinical practice. It is concluded that ICT has great value because it can be understood as a technology for mental health, as well as a collaborative practice of social intervention, given the greatness of its possibilities since it empowers the community in solving their problems, and humanizes the work of the health team.