VisiblE Hands
Collaborative
where community becomes therapy
"In 1986, I arrived at the 4 Varas community (in the Pirambu favela in Fortaleza, Brazil) with my medical students from the Federal University of Ceará. A lady told us that she couldn't sleep and asked for a medicine that we didn't have. When I was going to prescribe a medication, she said she didn't even have the money to buy food for her children, let alone expensive medicines. I realized that I was acting the way I was used to acting in the hospital.
The woman began to tell her story, to cry. Another came who supported her by giving her a handkerchief to dry her tears; another gave her a foot massage, another brought a cup of herbal tea, another began to share a similar personal experience. I realized then, that this woman started to be supported, that bonds of affection were created. She found what she came for; the support of the community, not my expertise. I realized that the community that has problems also has its solutions. Thus was born Integrative Community Therapy (ICT), a space for welcoming soul pain and collective suffering."
- Dr. Adalberto Barreto
we believe community has the power to heal
Visible Hands Collaborative is the first U.S.-based organization to provide certified training in Integrative Community Therapy (ICT, also referred to as Terapia Comunitária Integrativa or TCI), a large-group dialogic therapy that facilitates community conversation and builds emotional solidarity.
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We are actively seeking local and national organizations to create active partnerships that provide training and referrals. Contact us at for more info.
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