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Historically, research, theory and practice have focused on promoting and maintaining Western privilege through Western knowledge and Western ways of knowing that deny the validity of Indigenous knowledge and culture. In Australia, psychology, in particular, has been complicit in the colonising process and, as a dominant discourse, has a documented past that has been ethnocentric and has objectified, dehumanised, and devalued those from culturally different groups. It has acted as an agent for assimilation and oppression. As psychotherapists who may be invited into the lives of Indigenous clients, we need to develop reflective competency in, and respect for, the distinct and diverse nature of Indigenous cultural identity and experience if we are to successfully forge meaningful therapeutic alliances. We need to engage in a journey of decolonisation. Such a journey will take many of us through two mindscapes, two worlds. Decolonisation is not a simple process. Managing its complexity requires personal, professional, and social introspection, and commitment to change. This paper offers a model for decolonisation which can support this process. Central to the success of this model will be the role psychotherapists can play as change agents and cultural brokers in developing approaches which are fully committed to genuine reconciliation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key words: decolonisation; reconciliation; Indigenous psychologyThe process of decolonisation will require more than passing a law to remove oppression or highlight the legitimacy of Indigenous knowledge and cultural identity. It will demand a full and honest acknowledgement of history, a history where psychological theory and practice have been complicit in the processes of colonisation and assimilation. A movement away from colonisation will only occur when non-Indigenous Australians participate in a debate which will allow them to question their own institutions and ways of seeing -only then will they truly hear Indigenous concerns and be able to relate to their experience (Watson, 2007). This, however, will require a massive shift in understanding, and a new way of seeing the world which will inevitably "unsettle the settler" (de Costa & Clark, 2011, p. 332). Past and current wrongs need to be fully recognised, and issues relating to grief, loss, and shame addressed. Shame breeds fear. If left to

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We are a species of story-makers and storytellers. Stories are central to our development of self concept and identity and how we distinguish ourselves from others -a process central to our wellbeing. Counselling through storytelling is both an ancient activity and an emerging conceptual model. As an ancient activity it finds its origins in some very old cultural traditions. Australian Aboriginal people have long been telling stories in which they have created a sense of landscape, community and place. These stories hold a significance that stretches from the dawn of time, from the stories of the Dreamtime. The invitation to the 6th World Congress for Psychotherapy (WCP) on the theme of World Dreaming stated: "The intention of psychotherapy has always been to find forms of communication, expression and understanding that allow non-violent resolution of conflicts and the emergence of the individual human spirit. " Not so! As central as stories may be to the human condition and despite their early acceptance, psychological theory and practice have historically focussed on promoting and maintaining Western privilege through Western knowledge and Western ways of knowing which have denied the validity of Indigenous knowledge and culture. Psychotherapeutic research adopted the methodology of natural science: accurate measurement; statistical analysis; experimentation; the quest for predictive power; and the role of the detached, objective researcher. The growth of science and technology correlated directly with the loss in legitimacy of stories as a means of communicating truths about the world. This process had particularly severe repercussions for traditional peoples and their way of life, so rooted in literal story. In an Australian context, psychology has been complicit in the colonising process. It has acted as an agent for assimilation and oppression. This paper traces some of the effects of the "fall and rise" of narrative methods for understanding and enhancing human behaviour.

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