The Spirit of Gheel, Inc. is a private, non-profit residential psychiatric therapeutic community located in Kimberton, Pennsylvania approximately 30 miles west of Philadelphia. Our two residential facilities, Gheel House and Buttonwood Farm, are within walking distance of each other and are located in a rural setting of Chester County surrounded by woodlands, hiking trails, trout streams, horse farms and working farms.
Our therapeutic community was founded in 1984 by followers of the Rudolph Steiner humanitarian philosophy to assist adults who struggle with the debilitating effects of serious and persistent mental illness. The community has no religious affiliation or orientation.
The Spirit of Gheel takes its name from the city of Geel, Belgium which has been providing compassionate care for the seriously mentally ill in the community for over 700 years. The essence of our community reflects this commitment to providing a safe, caring environment in which individuals can recognize and utilize their unique strengths in the service of achieving greater emotional and behavioral stability.
In our therapeutic community there is an ongoing effort to identify and build upon the personal strengths of each resident. . This is central to our philosophy as we believe that a predominant focus on pathology, or what is not working, is counterproductive to promoting the sense of security and trust necessary for individuals struggling with serious mental illness to risk practicing new ways of thinking and acting. In this regard, we believe that is essential to provide a safe and nurturant environment within which the residents can find their uniquely individual paths toward wellness and recovery.
