Culturally Responsive Therapeutic Practice with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

Anna Liebzeit, Samantha Edwards-Vandenhoek, Tamara Young, Sharnie Roberts and guests

Designed by Aboriginal Academic, curriculum writer, Artist and Educator, Anna Liebzeit, this subject supports students to develop ethical, reflexive, and culturally responsive practices when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients. Through experiential learning, critical self-inquiry, narrative and creative processes, students will engage with Australia’s colonial history, Indigenous worldviews and key cultural protocols. Grounded in the values of respect, safety, communication, reflection, advocacy and cultural responsiveness, this subject aims to challenge unconscious bias and equip students with the tools to navigate ethical dilemmas in the provision of trauma-informed care in cross-cultural therapeutic contexts. Through critical discussion and case studies, students will develop a deeper understanding of relationality, Country, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing, the principles and practices for decolonising therapy aligned with their professional context, and the responsibility of the helping professions in supporting healing and justice.