A Multipurpose Mental Health Resource
We have used and considered several types of facilities for the use of sweat therapy - the combination of intense heat exposure with counseling/psychotherapy. These structures have included the sweat lodge, sauna, steam room, etc.
An important consideration in using any specific form of group sweating is to respect the cultural/religious traditions associated with different structures. This is especially important in the case of the Native American sweat lodge.
Another important consideration is practicality. Working as part of an agency which provides counseling/psychotherapy often demands that sessions begin and start on time and occur rain or shine. Counseling agencies are also more likely to be found in an urban setting rather than a rural one.
We recommend that a Finnish-style sauna offers the most practical means of group sweating for developing sweat therapy as a counseling technique. High quality saunas have been manufactured on a large scale for international use for several generations. They can be built for indoor or outdoor use or to fit almost any-sized room. The convenience of operating on electricity allows for ease of scheduling.
One problem in using the sauna for group work is that they are almost always designed in an “L” shape rather than a circle. Use of a sauna with circular seating would lend itself better to group processing. We had the above floor plan drawn up for us by Finnleo also known as Saunatec. To accommodate eleven people, the dimensions of this sauna are 9’ x 12’ x 7’. This sauna sells for about $30,000 (US). We are currently researching potential funding sources to support our dream sauna for sweat therapy.
Having a sauna on agency premises would provide a multipurpose mental health resource. The primary purpose would be to make use of intense heat exposure to help accelerate and intensify counseling process. Sessions can be formatted for specific population needs. The secular nature of this sauna allows for facilitator creativity. Some counselors may choose to incorporate rituals/practices based on the cultural background of themselves and their client(s) with smudging, meditation, prayer, storytelling, or other spiritual practice. The use of music has been incorporated with group sweating by multiple cultural groups. Marine-quality stereos and speakers like the one shown in the advertisement below sold by Poly-Planar advertise to be practically impervious to heat and water exposure and perfect for sauna use. Our work on developing Sweat Therapy Audio opens the door to several possibilities to create experiences complementary to the goals of counseling using audio recordings that incorporate meditation, music, and sweating while participants are encouraged to confront personal challenges. Recordings can be designed for specific populations and issues. And last but certainly not least, let’s not forget about taking care of the caretaker. Having a sauna on agency premises would provide an excellent way for staff to relax, distress, and get rejuvenated.
