GUIR & ANZ Association for Contextual Behavioural Science (ANZ ACBS)

Cultural supervision and training for mainstream mental health practitioners was the topic of a workshop delivered by GUIR to clinical psychologists at the annual ANZ ACBS conference. Guir’s Ken Zulumovski opened the conference held on Kabbi Kabbi country, Sunshine Coast with a ‘Welcome to Country’ and short ceremony. The aim of the training was to support mental health professionals working with Indigenous Australians by sharing resources taken from GUIR’s work in mental health, healing and social and emotional wellbeing across all ages. The resources included ‘Dadirri’ and developing awareness with ‘non-reaction’ This presentation was part of a multi phase initiative community development project with social work student Carolyn Minchin, ‘the unmet need for cultural supervision models for mainstream mental health practitioners’ and the value of Dadirri practices ‘Deep listening for action at a later time’ The work of Judy Atkinson, author of ‘Trauma Trails’ and Miriam Rose Ungunmarr Bauman was acknowledged in the presentation. GUIR and the ANZ ACBS are examining opportunities to increase support of mainstream psychologists working with Indigenous Australians and have identified next years conference which will be held in Wellington as an appropriate stage to highlight Indigenous mental health care practices. Steven Hayes, one of the key psychologists behind Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, a third wave behavioural therapy model with a focus on mindful action will be a key partner in this initiative.