EREDETI KÖZLEMÉNYEK 216 HEALTH LEARNING AS IDENTITY LEARNING IN THE THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY Kelemen Gábor, B. Erdôs Márta Abstract Authors outline a comprehensive model on health learning as identity learning in the context of therapeutic communities for addicted persons. Theories of learning, including Bateson’s model of communicative learning, serve as a basis for critical review on contemporary notions of health promotion. Authors propose a new term, health learning, that is conceived as a relational-dialogical way of learning. Characteristic processes and phases of health learning are described. Key words: health learning, therapeutic community, addiction, identity reconstruction Therapeutic communities Since the first residential program for recovering drug addicts (Synanon, Santa Monica 1958) has been established, therapeutic communities (TC-s) represent one of the most powerful resources for addicted persons through their journey towards sobriety. Beyond abstinence, the primary goal of these institutions is to facilitate personal growth by changing the lifestyle of the individual through the impact of the community one is a member of. The priority of the treatment is not to cure the addiction but help the addicts transform (Swora 2004). The trans-disciplinary staff (an alliance of ex-addict paraprofessionals and degree professionals in TCs), relying on practical competence and professional artistry, show a working alternative to technical rationality. Its heterarchical organization is alien to the traditional hierarchy of a medical institution. The TC is a tribe-like environment – exuding warmth, trust and familiarity – a fraternity of people where members learn and experience together through the 24 hours of the day (Casriel 1963). Witnessing the success of the treatment hospitals have begun to use some of the elements of therapies offered in TC-s – such as thoughtfully structuring daily activities and a confronting approach concerning the addict’s behaviour in group therapies (Broekaert 2006). It is commonplace, nonetheless it is true, that the therapist in a TC is the whole community: improvements in the person’s behaviour are rooted in major transformations in the person’s relational system. De Leon has claimed that internalized changes seem to be more consistent and self-initiated than externally influenced learning (De Leon 2000). The process of learning is often aided by certain theatrical elements such as the play-like quality