Indigenous healing: an introduction

Social work literature, education and practice are replete with ‘evidence-based’ treatments. However, upon analysing (1) what counts as evidence, (2) who created the treatment models and (3) who they are intended to treat, it becomes clear that there is a significant gap in social work that needs to be addressed. The clinical and disciplinary fields of social work have not attended to Indigenous cultural healing. This article introduces social workers and therapists to several core Indigenous healing methods and concepts, including (1) all my relations, (2) land, (3) story and (4) medicine. The healing practices of sweat lodge and ayahuasca ceremonies are discussed. In this article, I answer two major questions: (1) ‘What are some Indigenous healing methods?’; and (b) ‘Why are they important, including in social work contexts?’.