Counselling from an Indigenous Worldview

Counsellors, mental health workers and psychotherapists need to approach Indigenous clients from an understanding of their worldview rather than from Western scientific worldviews. They should not immediately assess and label Indigenous clients, but rather listen to their stories over time and give them (and their families and kin) time to trust the health worker/clinician and connect with them before any assessment is made or treatment begun. This course specifically focuses on understanding how Australian Indigenous clients can be best supported through an understanding of their culture and worldview. You will learn about: strategies to stop seeing indigenous clients in terms of ‘deficit thinking’; the main concepts which comprise the Indigenous worldview and spirituality; a paradigm for understanding complex Indigenous issues; and an example of indigenous social and emotional wellbeing. Note: This course was written by Dr. Hilary Bond.