Research with First Nations healers looks at holistic approaches to healing
New research exploring different healing approaches including First Nations healers and complementary therapies is providing insights on ways to enhance the outcomes and experiences of people who access rural mental health services and systems.
The innovative research is a collaboration with Aboriginal researchers from Gunditjmara Country in rural Victoria and Monash Rural Health in Australia, and researchers in Norway and Denmark, working to understand what healing is and the barriers to healing.
The study involves qualitative interviews with Aboriginal, Maori and complementary therapy healers, as well as people who have sought healing, focussing on understanding the phenomenon of healing in the context of psychological trauma, looking outside mainstream Western medical systems.
According to lead researcher Dr Rochelle Hine, one of the key focus areas of the study was the healing relationship.
“We are interested in the relationship between the healing practitioner and the person who has sought out healing to find out what actually makes it a healing relationship.”
Some of the key themes explored in the research include how people become healers, defining what healing is and what people need healing from, creating a space for healing and barriers to healing.
Dr Hine points out that healing often happens outside of healthcare settings.
“Healing doesn’t occur in hospitals or health services – it happens at home, work and school; in the community, in cafes, in book clubs and running groups, in libraries and at the beach, when you’re playing with your kids or walking the dog or talking to a friend or in the bush or on a swing!”
In the mental health space, the study suggests that the interconnectedness between body/mind/spirit needs to be incorporated in mental health assessment processes, and that time and resources need to be dedicated to creating spaces and relationships that foster deep and vulnerable conversations, within which healing can occur. Aboriginal and Maori participants emphasised that connecting with the natural environment, family and culture were critical, and could also encompass deconstructing myths about stereotypes and gendered roles, such as what it means to be a ‘strong’ man.
With full results from the research to be presented in conferences and publications later in the year, Dr Hine looks forward to the possibility of pursuing future research in the area and exploring how healing principles and practices could be offered in mental health inpatient settings to explore their effectiveness in reducing the need for seclusion and restraint.