Resources and training for practitioners
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
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WellMob (https://wellmob.org.au/) is a directory of social and emotional wellbeing resources made for mob, by mob. Resources include other websites, apps, podcasts, videos, social media, and online counselling. Resource sheets are also available for practitioners (https://wellmob.org.au/e-health-topics/training-resources/resource-sheets-for-workers/), and include tips on working with anxiety, depression, trauma, gender identity, parenting, and issues relating to colonisation and racism.
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We Al-li (https://www.wealli.com.au/) provides education and training for individuals, families, communities and organisations, based on a Culturally Informed Trauma Integrated Healing Approach. Training includes both face-to-face and online courses, including courses on trauma counselling, loss and grief counselling, healing circles, and Aboriginal mindfulness traditions.
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The Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention (https://cbpatsisp.com.au/) promotes evidence-based suicide prevention practices for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through advocacy, policy, and research. Practitioners can explore the CBPATSISP Clearing House for best practice guidelines, programs, services, resources, and research relating to suicide prevention in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities (https://cbpatsisp.com.au/clearing-house/). The CBPATSISP have also developed and published a Manual of Resources for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention, which can be accessed here: https://manualofresources.com.au/
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Indigenous Psychological Services (https://indigenouspsychservices.com.au/) was founded by Dr Tracy Westerman AM to address a lack of specialist mental health services for Aboriginal people. Indigenous Psychological Services provide a range of trainings on Aboriginal mental health, cultural competency, and suicide prevention. They also offer a suite of assessment tools that have been developed and validated for use among Aboriginal people, including the Westerman Aboriginal Symptom Checklist that screens for risk of depression, suicidal behaviours, drug and alcohol use, impulsivity, and anxiety.
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The Westerman Jilya Institute for Indigenous Mental Health (https://www.thejilyainstitute.com.au/) was founded by Dr Tracy Westerman AM in response to a cluster of youth suicides in the Kimberley Region in 2017. The Jilya Institute has four streams focusing on: 1) research into casual pathways to Indigenous suicides, 2) development and training of best-practice approaches to Indigenous mental health, 3) training and delivery of community-based early intervention and prevention programs, and 4) increasing workforce capacity through the Dr Tracy Westerman Indigenous Psychology Scholarship Program.
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The Indigenous Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Clearinghouse (https://www.indigenousmhspc.gov.au/) is managed by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare with support from the Australian Government, and was established to enhance and improve access to research and evidence around what works and what does not in relation to Aboriginal mental health and suicide prevention. The Steering Committee is chaired by Professor Pat Dudgeon and has representation from researchers, service providers, advocates, and government, including Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations.
The Healing Foundation (https://healingfoundation.org.au/) partners with communities to address the ongoing trauma caused through colonisation and forced removal of children. They provide a platform to amplify the voices and lived (and living) experiences of Stolen Generations survivors and their families, and offer a range of resources on trauma and healing for Stolen Generations survivors, their descendants, families and communities.
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Gaya Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia (https://www.gayaadhuwi.org.au/) is the peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing, mental health, and suicide prevention. They are a Community Controlled Organisation, governed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experts and organisations working to achieve the highest attainable standard of social and emotional wellbeing, mental health, and suicide prevention outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
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Lowitja Institute (https://www.lowitja.org.au/) is a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Research Institute providing high-impact research, knowledge exchange, and support for Aboriginal health researchers working to address community needs and contribute to improved health outcomes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Lowitja Library includes a range of discussion papers and resources, including a recent discussion paper on Cultural Safety in Australia: https://www.lowitja.org.au/resource/cultural-safety-in-australia/
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The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (https://www.naccho.org.au/) is the national leadership body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in Australia. They represent 146 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations operating across Australia. Members can be found here: https://www.naccho.org.au/naccho-members/
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Useful papers, books, book chapters, and reports
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Atkinson, J. (2019). Aboriginal Australia–trauma stories can become healing stories if we work with therapeutic intent. In Humanising Mental Health Care in Australia (pp. 133-142). Routledge.
Atkinson, J. (2020). Symptom as history, culture as healing: Incarcerated Aboriginal women’s journeys through historic trauma and recovery processes. In Post-Conflict Hauntings: Transforming Memories of Historical Trauma (pp. 287-314). Springer.
Butler, J. (2017). Who’s your mob?: Aboriginal mapping: Beginning with the strong story. International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work, (3), 22–26. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.172124146518714
Christensen, K. (2022). Yarning as decolonising practice. International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work, (2), 1–8. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.532599182880707
Darwin, L., Vervoort, S., Vollert, E., and Blustein, S. (2023). Intergenerational trauma and mental health. Catalogue number IMH 18, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Government. https://www.indigenousmhspc.gov.au/publications/trauma
Dudgeon, P., & Walker, R. (2015). Decolonising Australian psychology: Discourses, strategies, and practice. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 3(1), 276-297. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v3i1.126
Dudgeon, P., Bray, A., D'costa, B., & Walker, R. (2017). Decolonising psychology: Validating social and emotional wellbeing. Australian Psychologist, 52(4), 316-325. https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12294
Dudgeon, P., Calma, T., & Holland, C. (2017). The context and causes of the suicide of Indigenous people in Australia. Journal of Indigenous Wellbeing, 2(1).
Dudgeon, P., Watson, M., & Holland, C. (2017). Trauma in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. Australian Clinical Psychologist, 3(1), 1741.
Dudgeon, P., & Bray, A. (2018). Indigenous healing practices in Australia. Women & Therapy, 41(1-2), 97-113. https://doi.org/10.1080/02703149.2017.1324191
Menzies, K. (2019). Understanding the Australian Aboriginal experience of collective, historical and intergenerational trauma. International Social Work, 62(6), 1522-1534. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872819870585
Mohamed, J., Stacey, K., Chamberlain, C., & Priest, N. (2024). Cultural safety in Australia. Lowitja Institute. https://www.lowitja.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/CulturalSafetyinAustralia_DiscussionPaper_August2024.pdf
Rodaughan, J., Murrup-Stewart, C., & Berger, E. (2024). Aboriginal practitioners’ perspectives on culturally informed practice for trauma healing in Australia. The Counseling Psychologist, 52(7), 1113-1141. https://doi.org/10.1177/00110000241268798
Smallwood, R., Woods, C., Power, T., & Usher, K. (2021). Understanding the impact of historical trauma due to colonization on the health and well-being of indigenous young peoples: a systematic scoping review. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 32(1), 59-68. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043659620935955
Tujague, N. A., & Ryan, K. L. (2021). Ticking the box of “cultural safety” is not enough: Why trauma-informed practice is critical to Indigenous healing. Rural and Remote Health, 21(3), 1–5. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.004410346624511
Usher, K., Jackson, D., Walker, R., Durkin, J., Smallwood, R., Robinson, M., Sampson, N., Adams, I., Porter, C., & Marriott, R. (2021). Indigenous resilience in Australia: A scoping review using a reflective decolonizing collective dialogue. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 630601. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.630601
Wingard, B., Johnson, C., Drahm-Butler, T. (2015). Aboriginal narrative practice: Honouring storylines of pride, strength and creativity. Dulwich Centre.
Wright, M., Lin, A., O’Connell, M., Bullen, J., & Flavell, H. (2021). Understanding and working with different worldviews to co-design cultural security in clinical mental health settings to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients. Primary Health Care Research & Development, 22, e59. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1463423621000499
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Useful videos
The Healing Foundation video on intergenerational trauma and featuring Aboriginal Psychiatrist Prof Helen Milroy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUhpWnd9onQ
Miriam-Rose Foundation video on Dadirri, a practice of deep listening and quiet still awareness, that connects us and nurtures spiritual wellbeing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tow2tR_ezL8
ABC News story with Dr Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Baumann discussing the importance of Dadirri (deep listening) and the experience of walking in two worlds - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qmhKscf0W4
NSW Health video on working with Aboriginal people and enhancing clinical practice in mental health care - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mrz8p4t-qo
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Asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants
Many of the support services and advocacy groups listed on our Support services page also provide resources and training for practitioners.
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Embrace Multicultural Mental Health (https://embracementalhealth.org.au/) is delivered by Mental Health Australia and provides a national focus on mental health and suicide prevention for people form culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. They produced the Framework for Mental Health in Multicultural Australia to support service providers and practitioners to work in a multicultural context. The Framework is freely available here: https://framework.embracementalhealth.org.au/ Embrace also host a Knowledge Hub containing resources and information on multicultural mental health suicide prevention: https://embracementalhealth.org.au/service-providers/knowledge-hub
Hints for Healing (https://www.hintsforhealing.startts.org.au/) is delivered by STARTTS and provides resources for practitioners working within schools with learners from refugee backgrounds. There is a section specifically for counsellors: https://www.hintsforhealing.startts.org.au/for-counsellors-all-resources/
Orygen (https://orygen.com.au/) are a peak body providing advocacy and education on youth mental health. They have produced a range of resources on culturally responsive practice, including this webinar on trauma-informed care when working with refugees and asylum seekers: https://www.orygen.org.au/Training/Resources/Trauma/Webinars/refugees-asylum-seekers More resources are available here: https://orygen.org.au/Training/Resources/Cultural-diversity-and-mental-wellbeing
Conversations Matter (https://conversationsmatter.org.au/) is a practical online resource supporting safe and effective discussions about suicide. They have produced a range of practical resources for talking about suicide with individuals, families, and communities from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Explore and download the resources here: https://conversationsmatter.org.au/resources/resources-for-cald-communities/
Emerging Minds (https://emergingminds.com.au/) have produced a fact-sheet with culturally informed ways to support mental health in children from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. Available here: https://embracementalhealth.org.au/sites/default/files/knowledge/2023/Culturally-informed-ways-to-support-mental-health-in-refugee-and-asylum-seeker-children.pdf
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Useful papers, books, and book chapters
Atkins, S. L., Fitzpatrick, M. R., Poolokasingham, G., Lebeau, M., & Spanierman, L. B. (2017). Make it personal: A qualitative investigation of White counselors’ multicultural awareness development. The Counseling Psychologist, 45(5), 669-696. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000017719458
Bowles, R. (2013). Ethics issues in cross-cultural psychotherapy. CQ: The VCAPA Quarterly. 14-31. https://www.startts.org.au/media/Bowles-Robin-Ethics-and-cross-cultural-psychotherapy-2013.pdf
Chang, D. F., & Berk, A. (2009). Making cross-racial therapy work: A phenomenological study of clients’ experiences of cross-racial therapy. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 56(4), 521–536. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016905
Charura, D. (2024). Therapists’ experience of working with refugees and asylum seekers who have been tortured: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001709
Davoren, N., McEleney, A., Corcoran, S., Tierney, P., & Fortune, D. G. (2024). Refugees and asylum seekers who have experienced trauma: Thematic synthesis of therapeutic boundary considerations. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 31(1), e2894. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2894
Davoren, N., McEleney, A., Corcoran, S., & Fortune, D. G. (2024). “Business as usual won’t work…”: Therapists’ experiences and preparedness for providing refugees with trauma-related interventions. Psychotherapy Research, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2024.2406544
Depauw, H., Van Hiel, A., De Clercq, B., Bracke, P., & Van de Putte, B. (2023). Addressing cultural topics during psychotherapy: Evidence-based do’s and don’ts from an ethnic minority perspective. Psychotherapy Research, 33(6), 768-782. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2022.2156307
Duden, G. S., & Martins-Borges, L. (2021). Psychotherapy with refugees—Supportive and hindering elements. Psychotherapy Research, 31(3), 402-417. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2020.1820596
King, K. M. (2021). “I want to, but how?” Defining counselor broaching in core tenets and debated components. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 49(2), 87-100. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmcd.12208
Kira, I. A., & Tummala-Narra, P. (2015). Psychotherapy with refugees: Emerging paradigm. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 20(5), 449-467. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325024.2014.949145
Nipperess, S., & Clark, S. (2016). Anti-oppressive practice with people seeking asylum in Australia: Reflections from the field. Routledge.
O'Brien, C. V., & Charura, D. (2023). Refugees, asylum seekers, and practitioners’ perspectives of embodied trauma: A comprehensive scoping review. Psychological trauma: Theory, research, practice, and policy, 15(7), 1115. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001342
O'Brien, C., & Charura, D. (2024). Advancing transculturally informed, humanistic therapeutic practice for refugees and asylum seekers presenting with embodied trauma. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 24(4), 1612-1631. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12808
O’Brien, C., & Charura, D. (2024). Body mapping refugees and asylum seekers’ perspectives of embodied trauma: An innovative method for psychotraumatology research & practice. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 21(1), 71-106. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2023.2289964
Spalding, B., Grove, J., & Rolfe, A. (2019). An exploration of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic counsellors' experiences of working with White clients. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 19(1), 75-82.
Taylor, S., Charura, D., Williams, G., Shaw, M., Allan, J., Cohen, E., Meth, F., & O'Dwyer, L. (2020). Loss, grief, and growth: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of experiences of trauma in asylum seekers and refugees. Traumatology, 30(1), 103-112. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/trm0000250
Tucker, S., & Price, D. (2007). Finding a home: Group psychotherapy for traumatized refugees and asylum seekers. European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling, 9(3), 277-287. https://doi.org/10.1080/13642530701496880
Tummala-Narra, P. (2019). Working with immigrants and refugees in psychodynamic psychotherapy. In Contemporary psychodynamic psychotherapy (pp. 281-294). Academic Press.
Vogel, S. (2016). Working with people who identify as asylum seekers or refugees. Gestalt Journal of Australia and New Zealand, 12(2), 83-100. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.157894242667584
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Anti-Oppressive Practice
Radical Therapist Network (https://www.radicaltherapistnetwork.com/)
QLife QGuide on Privilege, Power, and Oppression - https://qlife.org.au/uploads/Privilege-Power-Oppression.pdf
QLife QGuide on Anti-Oppressive Practice - https://qlife.org.au/uploads/Anti-Oppressive-Practice.pdf
Mad In America blog post on Guidelines for Decolonising Psychotherapy in Australia - https://www.madinamerica.com/2020/04/guidelines-decolonizing-psychotherapy-australia/
Counselling in Northumberland blog post on Activism and anti-oppressive practice - https://counsellinginnorthumberland.com/2019/09/01/activism-and-anti-oppressive-practice/
Short video explaining intersectionality produced by Prof Peter Hopkins from Newcastle University - https://youtu.be/O1islM0ytkE?si=_yvUI_DcKy-IAUob
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Useful papers, books, and book chapters on Anti-Oppressive Practice
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Ansara, Y. G. (2020). Building an anti-oppressive community of practice: Moving from lip service to liberation through belonging. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, 8(2).
Brown, J. (2019). Anti-oppressive practice. Routlege.
Conyer, M. (2020). Reckoning: Reshaping clinical practice by grappling with privilege and colonisation. Beyond the psychology industry: How else might we heal?, 95-111. Springer.
Corneau, S., & Stergiopoulos, V. (2012). More than being against it: Anti-racism and anti-oppression in mental health services. Transcultural Psychiatry, 49(2), 261-282. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363461512441594
Middleton, T. J., Toole, K. M., Culpepper, D., Hughes, D. C., Parsons-Christian, E., & Dollarhide, C. T. (2023). Decolonizing & decentering oppressive structures: Practical strategies for social justice in school and clinical counseling. Journal of Counselor Leadership and Advocacy, 10(2), 112–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/2326716X.2023.2237023
Mullan, J. (2023). Decolonizing Therapy: Oppression, Historical Trauma, and Politicizing Your Practice. W W Norton & Company.
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Books on Anti-Racism
Eddo-Lodge, R. (2018). Why I’m no longer talking to White people about race. Bloomsbury.
Kendi. X. I., (2019). How to be an Anti-racist. Vintage Digital.
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Books on Oppression
Fanon, F. (1963). The wretched of the Earth. Penguin Books.
Friere, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Penguin UK.
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Books on Racial Trauma
Harewood, D. (2022). Maybe I Don't Belong Here: A Memoir of Race, Identity, Breakdown and Recovery. Pan Macmillan.
Menakem, R. (2017). My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathways to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies. Central Recovery PR.