Floyd-Richard M, Gurung S
Counselling Department, Green Pastures Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal. bmrichard@ compuserve.com
Lepr Rev. 2000 Dec;71(4):499-504. doi: 10.5935/0305-7518.20000052.
Stigmatization of persons with leprosy causes the emotional harm of social, economic and spiritual deprivation. Individual counselling has benefits in addressing these psychosocial problems but is a slow process and effects few people at any one time. Our experience of group counselling of stigmatized persons achieved the following: addressing common issues to more than one person at a time, encouraging the unity of sufferers, developing compassion for others, understanding the common effects of stigmatization, and beginning to overcome its harmful effects.
