Working in Indigenous Contexts: Self‐Reported Experiences of Non‐Indigenous Australian Psychologists

Abstract

Despite assertions in the literature that psychologists adopt culturally inappropriate strategies for working with Indigenous clients, there is little empirical evidence about this. The aim of this study was to document the self-reported experiences of non-Indigenous psychologists working with Indigenous clients, the factors that they felt constrain these interactions, and the clinical, assessment and communication strategies they perceived as effective in Indigenous contexts. Structured interviews were held with 23 psychologists, 18 females and five males, with age groups ranging from 20-30 to 50+. Thematic analysis of the data revealed that participants experienced contradictions between the typical Western white psychologists' ways of interacting with clients, which they had been taught and the typical ways in which relationships are structured in Indigenous communities. The results suggest that the Western model of psychological training does not work very well in Indigenous contexts, and that psychologists working in Indigenous contexts have to work out their own methods on a trial-and-error basis. This points to the need for more systematic cultural competence training. However, there is a lack of research into the effectiveness of psychological intervention from the viewpoints of Indigenous clients themselves.

Cultural Competence in Clinical Psychology Training: A Qualitative Investigation of Student and Academic Experiences

“…While acknowledging the efforts made by their universities to address cultural issues, students struggled to apply their “western” knowledge and practices when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients, or with clients from other cultural groups, such as Asian clients. Participants’ experiences of clinical psychology as “western” ethnocentric are consistent with other Australian and international literature (Ford, ; Henrich, Heine, & Norenzayan, ; McConnochie et al, ; Nelson et al, ; Ranzijn et al, ; Vicary & Bishop, ; Walker & Sonn, ).…”

“…The authors also argued for the need to include cultural competency training in clinical psychology degrees (O'Connor et al, ). The call for more systematic cultural competency training was also made in another study based on interviews with 23 non‐Indigenous psychologists working in Indigenous contexts, who reported gaining cultural competency on a “trial‐and‐error basis” (McConnochie et al, ). Taken together, these studies demonstrate the need to include cultural competency training in tertiary curricula.…”

“…The concept of cultural competence was introduced in Australia to guide initiatives in multicultural clinical psychology practice and research (e.g., McConnochie et al, ; Ranzijn, McConnochie, Day, Nolan, & Wharton, ; Walker & Sonn, ). Several models of cultural competence are currently used, including Cross et al’s cultural competence () and Sue et al’s () multicultural counselling competency (MCC).…”

An overview of illness conceptualizations in African, Hindu, and Islamic traditions: towards cultural competence

“…Mkhize (2004) argues that it does not make sense to exclusively explain the psychological needs and experiences of people in developing societies with particular reference to philosophical systems imported from the West. McConnochie, Ranzijn, Hodgson, Nolan, and Samson (2012) demonstrate that this problem is not only confined to developing societies. Using the Australian context and the case of Indigenous Australians, they provide evidence of the limitations of Western models in understanding and treating Indigenous Australians.…”

Challenges in Developing a Cultural Evidence‐Based Psychotherapy in the USA: Suggestions for International Studies

“…Although we may differ in language, symbols used, or hair colour, we all share similar psychological qualities, such as self-esteem, personal schemas, or the desire to self-actualise. McConnochie, Ranzijn, Hodgson, Nolan, and Samson (2012) highlight the influence of universalist assumptions in Australia in their study. One strategy that can be used to identify whether a study endorses universal assumptions is to determine if it neglects cultural variables (La Roche, 2013).…”