Abstract
Summary: A 17-year-old client spent several months in a therapeutic community in treatment for a substance use disorder. In this study we use a psychotherapeutic approach based on a theory by Chvála and Trapková.
We describe the father's real absence, the mother's apparent absence, and the chaos concerning roles in the client's upbringing. We show substitute aspects of a nuclear family in therapeutic community-based treatment.
The environment of a therapeutic community offers maternal and paternal aspects and modes which are important for the development of the client's.