ABSTRACT
Despite the enduring presence of therapeutic communities (TCs) (Kennard 1999) and the variety of psychotherapy schools suggesting alternative methods to medication or hospitalisation, the psychological treatment of the psychoses still remains a rather controversial subject. There are political variations across Europe and cultural dimensions to this as well. When it comes to demonstrating the evidence for the effectiveness of psychological treatment for psychosis, there is, unfortunately, still a considerable way to go. Added to this, there is a general fear of mad people. Yet it may well be the case that fear and despair are precisely what these people feel; and that those who are considered normal are in turn afraid to face their own psychotic side. Whatever the reason, treating mad people is a demanding and, at times, rather strenuous undertaking, while our expectations for its outcome go hand in hand with our notion of what cure might be.
