Moving beyond ‘self’ and ‘the other’ to discover what works.
In the Pacific environment it seems important to move therapy from a fundamental reliance on psychodynamic insights to views that take wider perspectives into account. This presentation highlights questions I ask myself while practising in an environment where change is constant. My approach as a non-Maori practitioner underwent significant change when I began listening to Tangata Whenua in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Clients from many cultures have an expectation that counsellors and therapists will be able to understand that which is unspoken and unseen as well as that which is based on evidence and outcomes.
Whilst retaining traditional theoretical insights, the current multicultural climate challenges me to move beyond a focus on self and other. It may be necessary to review the way professions work together in order to build a woven approach to health services. Wisdom offered by first nation peoples, the idea that nothing moves in isolation and the opportunity to review current approaches to training counsellors and therapists are promising ways to move forward. The next decade could see innovative ways to act together, risk not knowing, and welcome insights which come from beyond our present understandings.
