Restoring the Sense of Self in the Process of Recovery in Schizophrenia

Recovery oriented services extend beyond reduction of psychiatric symptoms and focus on helping individuals reconstruct their lives in a meaningful way. This case report describes the rehabilitation interventions with a 37 year old woman with chronic schizophrenia and residual disability during a four-month inpatient stay. These comprised individual supportive psychotherapy with vocational rehabil- itation, social skills training and behavioural management components. Family intervention addressed maternal critical- ity and over involvement. The reduction of internalized stigma and changes in the family interactions and dynamics were important for achieving therapeutic gains. The therapeutic process demonstrates how a person's selfhood can expand beyond being defined by the illness by restoring the sense of agency and generating hope. The therapeutic challenges, implications for clinical practice, rehabilitation services and future research are discussed.