Decolonizing Mental Health Training

In this course, Dr. Cirecie West-Olatunji, Ph.D., Dr. Cirecie West-Olatunji, Ph.D., Director, Center for Traumatic Stress Research, Xavier University, Louisiana, argues for the need to decentralise Eurocentrism in counselling and psychotherapy. Defining the Eurocentric elements of mental health training, Dr. West-Olatunji shows how past psychological thinking has been racist, and describes the goals for culture-centred mental health, wellness, and therapy that will counter ingrained and sometimes subtle racist assumptions. She briefly outlines African-centred, Native-American, Latino-centred, and Asian-centred theories and their corresponding interventions. Bias in assessment must also be addressed; West-Olatunji details changes in mental measurement that are needed.