What is therapeutic? Analysis of the narratives available on the websites of Italian addiction rehab centres to present the therapeutic programme

In recent years, the use of the adjective “therapeutic” has expanded to encompass a great variety of experiences, blurring the line between what is effectively therapeutic and what is not. Proceeding from the idea that a word’s meaning is linked to its use in a particular linguistic game, we will analyse the etymons “therapy” and “psychotherapy” and the change in their meanings over time. This background will guide us in the qualitative analysis of the so-called “therapeutic activities” available on the websites of 14 Italian therapeutic communities for treating addiction. Four main master narratives emerge from our investigation. These are characterised by biomedical assumptions, pedagogical principles, religious precepts, and moral values, respectively. Activities are considered therapeutic per se rather than based on theoretical assumptions regarding change. In the light of our results, the adjective “therapeutic” has become a domain of common sense, which poses the threat of undue reification of the linguistic game that expresses it.