TCs vary and it is often best to speak directly to the TC you are thinking of joining. In most cases you will need to be referred by a doctor or social worker but there are some that will take self-referrals.

In the NHS TCs working with people diagnosed with a personality disorder generally use a complex admission procedure, rather than straightforward inclusion and exclusion criteria.

There are various theoretical models on which the clinical practice is based, drawing on systemic, psychodynamic, group analytic, cognitive-behavioural and humanistic traditions.

Staff teams in therapeutic communities are always multidisciplinary, drawn mostly from the mental health core professions including direct psychiatric input and specialist psychotherapists.