A Positive Approach to Mental Health
Lothlorien is a therapeutic community which provides the opportunity for people to develop their potential through living alongside others who are relatively well, in an atmosphere of friendship, acceptance and mutual support.
“It has helped me to regulate my mental health in a way that I couldn’t previously”
Situated in a quiet rural setting in South West Scotland, Lothlorien is a therapeutic community for people experiencing mental health difficulties. Lothlorien was originally started in 1974 by the Haughton family, who built the 13 bedroomed log house, one of the largest in its kind in Britain, from locally hewn larch and pine trees. It has been run since 1989 by the Rokpa Trust, an international charity founded by Dr. Akong Tulku Rinpoche of Samye Ling Tibetan Centre in Dumfriesshire. Buddhist values of compassion and tolerance are the basis of our approach however we are not a religious community and are open to all.
By offering people the opportunity to develop their potential and by focusing on their strengths and not their weaknesses, a culture of self support is created through which all community members see themselves as having something to offer as well as having something to gain from community life.
The community consists of residents with mental health challenges, voluntary co-workers, core group and day volunteers. We also have a dog and resident cat.
The community has 17 acres of land, including vegetable gardens, woodland and pasture land. The main house has wheelchair access and a disabled toilet on the ground floor.
We hope that time spent at Lothlorien can provide people with the opportunity to develop the self-esteem, confidence and skills (both practical and interpersonal) to break free of dependency, and to work towards recovery, with improved employment or training prospects.
“The daily structure is key to my wellbeing”
“I like the way the routine is set up and there is always something purposeful to be getting on with”
“I find people are non-judgmental and supportive”
Lothlorien and Roan Lodge receive ‘Excellent’ grades from Care Inspectorate
The Care Inspectorate inspected Lothlorien and Roan Lodge in 2017 and awarded ‘Excellent’ grading in all categories
- Quality of Care and Support: 6 Excellent
- Quality of Staffing: 6 Excellent
- Quality of Management and Leadership: 6 Excellent
From the inspection report:
“We found the care and support provided by this structured and therapeutic community to be exceptional. … We found the service to have fully embraced the concepts of person centred, needs based and participative care and support and witnessed this being practiced and lived out on a daily basis. Community members with whom we spoke and those who had completed questionnaires felt that they benefitted greatly from the therapeutic environment adopted by the service and in particular by the staff working there. Outcomes were negotiated and were realistic taking cognisance of the individual needs and wishes of community members. Our discussions and examination of records and documents regarding the methodology, practice and procedures adopted demonstrated a commitment by the service to improving the physical and mental health of the individual by making use of the therapeutic environment provided thus achieving the best possible results for those residing there. We found several examples of how people’s lives had been ‘turned around’ as a result of their time at Lothlorien.”
Care Inspectorate Report (pdf)
We are registered with Social Care & Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS) as a housing support service.
Lothlorien is a member of the The Consortium of Therapeutic Communities
Rokpa Trust is a registered charity (no. 1059293) and a company limited by guarantee.
How to contact us
Email: Manager Lucy Morgan lucy@lothlorien.tc or Deputy Manager Hayley Bain hayley@lothlorien.tc
Address: Lothlorien Community (Rokpa Trust), Corsock, Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway, DG7 3DR.
Telephone: 01644 440602 (Mon-Fri 9am – 5pm)