Objectives: This paper will present the findings
from a qualitative study exploring the narratives of
Indigenous counsellors in Native community.
Design: The study employed a qualitative design.
Semi-structured narrative interviews were used and
analyzed through a narrative methodology.
Methods: One Native community health agency
participated and five individuals, who worked
as counsellors with the agency's clients, were
interviewed.
Results: Four metathemes: community, cultural
identity, holistic approach, and interdependence
were identified as the main results. Further, a model
for mental health and healing was created by the
overlapping nature of these meta themes in practice.
Conclusions: A health promoting counselling model
for Indigenous clients could be based on cultural
values and perspectives. However, employing these
values and perspectives entails an understanding that
a contemporary conception of Indigenous mental
health contains two components: mental health as
wellness, and mental health as a process of healing.