Prof. Dr. Adalberto de Paula Barreto
Dr Adalberto Barreto was born and raised in Northeast Brazil, his strong academic credentials include a Doctorate in Psychiatry from University of Paris and a PhD in Anthropology. These served him well by giving him the legitimacy to integrate his knowledge of Western medicine with traditional healing approaches and systems.
Dr Barreto developed and disseminated Integrative Community Therapy, focusing on the value of local cultural resources, being open to the unexpected, creativity, community participation and the belief in the abilities of the individual, the family and the community.
Dr Barreto is a pioneer of Integrative Community Therapy (ICT), designed to meet the needs of under-served, low- income communities in Brazil, who were presenting with mild to moderate mental health issues, usually requiring medication.
ICT uses large group, dialogic therapeutic modalities to emphasise community -building in a shared environment, creating a powerful tool for collective healing and resiliency.
Research and evaluation of ICT cites many positive outcomes from community building, inclusiveness and diversity, sharing experiences, promotion of healthy coping strategies and the creation and reinforcing of social support networks.