Mapping Tensions of Non-Indigenous Clinicians Working with Indigenous Peoples in a Counselling Context

Abstract

Despite the need for intervention following the discovery of thousands of Indigenous children’s unmarked graves across Canada in 2021, access to culturally safe mental health services for Indigenous Peoples is limited. Predominant Western treatment methodologies tend to operate from a colonial lens, privileging biomedical models that pathologize Indigenous clients for challenges that are sociocultural in nature. While psychological training programs, particularly in counselling psychology, have recently emphasized multicultural training, the adequacy of such programs in preparing clinicians for working with Indigenous people is still in question. Inadequate training can negatively impact counsellor performance and result in further marginalization and discrimination. Given these concerns, this thesis explores the tensions that non-Indigenous counselling psychologists encounter when working with Indigenous individuals to identify how non-Indigenous therapists can align themself with the principles that guide Indigenous approaches to wellness. In line with Indigenous ethics, a circular approach is used. Individual interviews with two Indigenous (one Cree and one Anishinaabe) Collaborators provided insight into the relevance and structure of the talking circles with five registered psychologists. A concept map of salient points was created to explore participant responses. The Indigenous collaborators were then invited back to a second interview to provide input on the findings and insights into how they related to Indigenous conceptions and approaches to wellness. This study discusses the implications of the findings for individual counsellors, organizations, and the discipline to provide culturally safe and relevant care to Indigenous individuals. Finally, it provides suggested areas for future research.