Western psychotherapeutic practice: Engaging Aboriginal people in culturally appropriate and respectful ways

Abstract

Until recently the majority of psychologists in Australia have been confronted by the lack of information relating to culturally appropriate methods of engagement and therapy with Aboriginal clients. Findings from a qualitative study undertaken in Western Australia indicated that Aboriginal conceptualisations of mental health appear more holistic and contain elements that are both cultural and spiritual. The extent of these differences in conceptualisations from Western psychiatry and psychology are so vast that the mental health interventions need to be reconsidered. Extending from an Aboriginal mental health model are traditional treatments that endeavour to address the cultural and spiritual components of the mental illness. Findings from the study indicated that these treatments appeared to be hierarchically organised, depending on cause, severity, type of practitioner required and treatment. The findings also indicated that Aboriginal people generally seek traditional interpretations and treatment of an illness and exhaust these avenues prior to contact with the Western mental health system. The research also delineated Aboriginal beliefs about Western psychotherapy, including conceptions about Western therapy. The authors propose an engagement model, including formative preparation, for non-Aboriginal practitioners intending to work with the Aboriginal community.

Indigenous Family Violence: An Attempt to Understand the Problems and Inform Appropriate and Effective Responses to Criminal Justice System Intervention

“…Vicary and Bishop (2005) While neither of these bodies of work have specifically targeted the criminal justice area, many of their suggestions are relevant nevertheless to the development of family violence programs (see Table 2). Cultural awareness training is the most obvious strategy to address this area of need.…”

Measuring cultural appropriateness of mental health services for Australian Aboriginal peoples in rural and remote Western Australia: a client/clinician's journey

“…This means that where there is a culturally proficient practitioner, the community are happy to attend and issues are sorted quickly. Where the practitioner is not respected in the community, treatment and intervention is not sought (Vicary & Bishop, 2005). These practitioners will not use the Aboriginal Mental Health Workers (AMHW), even when the AMHW requests to be present or part of the assessment.…”

‘Yarn with me’: applying clinical yarning to improve clinician–patient communication in Aboriginal health care

“…In research yarning 'a topic is introduced in a deliberately open manner, and the yarning participants can then take that topic and respond as they see fit, rather than feeling that they are being interviewed or formally questioned' (Fletcher et al 2011, p. 93). Yarning approaches have been used in health care, largely for therapy or counselling and psychosocial support of Aboriginal clients (Towney 2005;Vicary and Bishop 2005;Bacon 2013). Lin et al (2014) reported that Aboriginal patients prefer yarning styles of communication, involving a two-way dialogue and careful listening, shared treatment decision-making, clinicians taking an interest in the patient as a whole, having sufficient time, and sharing information of a non-clinical nature.…”