This paper addresses fundamental aspects of the notion of tradition in order to try to understand the foundations of the therapeutic community by drawing on the philosophy of Hans-Georg Gadamer and the psychoanalytic thought of Jacques Lacan. The authors argue that, although a Kleinian reading of the therapeutic community has been dominant, a hermeneutic approach can enrich our understanding through its emphasis on language, community and dwelling. This leads to a discussion - with the use of case examples drawn from the authors' work in therapeutic communities for the severely mentally ill - of memory, community and remembering, full speech, and the intersubjective nature of being (Heidegger's Mitsein) which situates us not just within tradition but within a specific set of tradition.