Epistemological hybridism comprises a varied combination of elements that facilitate understanding the world. These include the indigenous and Western scientific methods applied to understand a subject thoroughly. In therapy, this entails the integration of indigenous cultural beliefs and healing practices with orthodox Western therapeutic techniques in addressing the emotional and mental desires of native patrons. In a Western way, epistemological hybridism can entail a social and integrated approach to therapy. It should encompass the Western values and traditional beliefs and practices of a user’s cultural heritage.
Soul Wound and Earth Wound
Soul wounds encompass the historical trauma and traumatic experiences endured by the Indigenous people. These include cultural oppression, loss of land, and the involuntary exclusion of children from their families, which affects their self-worth, sense of identity, and connection to their community and culture. Earth wound entails the destruction and abuse of the natural environment and resources along with the connected cultural practices, given that the Indigenous communities have a spiritual and intimate connection to the land. Soul and earth wounds are essential because of their impact on the health and welfare of Indigenous people. If they are addressed, it will be a significant step in encouraging healing and recovery.
Soul Wound Relation to Sexual Abuse
During sexual abuse, the victim/survivor experiences a soul wound that profoundly affects their emotional and psychological well-being. The trauma the victim/survivor experience is not just a person but a collective issue that affects the entire community. Duran (2019) states that the trauma impacts their relationships, sense of self, and connection to their cultural heritage, and conventional Western therapeutic approaches may not sufficiently cure this type of wound.
Repressed Shadow/Blind Spots
Several shadow/blind spots can affect a person’s ability to forge meaningful individual relations. The first is the colonial mentality that entails colonization and its impact on Indigenous people’s cultural identity and self-worth. Duran (2019) states that this makes individuals co-opt negative beliefs about themselves and their culture. The second shadow is resistance to change, which arises in personal helping dealings that may cause people to refrain from exploring their cultural heritage and integrating indigenous healing practices into their therapeutic process.
Atrocities
The boarding school system in the United States is a significant atrocity that affected the Indigenous people. Duran (2019) states that the government sanctioned the system to forcibly remove Indigenous kids from their families and communities and place them in boarding schools. This created a way of culturally assimilating the indigenous children to strip them of their cultural identity in favor of Western ideologies. I was not aware that the boarding school system served the role of cultural assimilation.
Vampire of Aggression
The vampire of aggression has been used as a metaphor to define the effect of historical and unending trauma on the Indigenous people. Duran (2019) states that once people are bitten, they are filled with rage and feelings of anger, and a desire to retaliate. Cleansing from the bite entails a healing process that addresses the victim’s cultural identity and feelings by including indigenous healing practices.
Where did you learn to do this?
The question emerges as an authoritative tool in the therapeutic process designed to help a person understand the origin of their behavioral patterns and identify areas for healing from historical trauma. It helps to engage struggling clients to reflect on the origins of their behavior. The question helps patrons to scrutinize the historical, cultural, and personal influences that shape action and beliefs and identify for rectification.
Personal and Professional TakeAway
A key personal takeaway is understanding the concept of a soul wound and its connection to historical trauma and cultural oppression. It is followed by appreciating the need to address historical and cultural trauma through therapy. Professionally, the chapter provides a deep understanding of the effects of colonization and cultural oppression on Indigenous communities. I like the chapter because it invokes the need to recognize the importance of integrating cultural knowledge and Indigenous healing practices into the therapeutic process.
Transference Theory: Foundational Arguments
The foundational arguments of transference theory involve an individual’s unconscious thinking and feelings invoked by past associations. Duran (2019) states that thoughts and emotions can be transferred and re-emerge in new relationships, including the therapeutic relationship. He argues that unconscious feelings can influence and alter a person’s present relations, leading to maladaptive behavioral and emotional patterns. A person needs to understand and work through transference to attain more remarkable growth.
Transference and Counter Transference Versus Classical Transference Theory
Duran argues that traditional transference focuses predominantly on individuals and their inner experiences. According to Duran (2019), social, cultural, and historical factors do not influence how people form their unconscious thoughts and reactions. He indicates that to understand transference, there is a need to acknowledge the place of cultural and historical factors in influencing the unconscious mind, and how they can be recreated in therapeutic relations.
Transference of a Spiritual Nature
Duran describes transference of a spiritual nature as an interplay of unconscious thoughts, emotions, and experiences connected to religion, spirituality, and therapeutic relations. I acknowledge his description of how this kind of transference can manifest, such as seeing the therapist as a spiritual character, which is essential in the therapeutic process. I agree with his description of how it can help to divulge vital characteristics of a person’s insentient spiritual beliefs and desires. In addition, working through this transference can speed up the curing and integration of the spiritual self.
Implications of Diagnosis as a Naming Ceremony
Diagnosing somebody with a mental health disorder is highly expected to affect how the individual relates with others. The diagnosis generates a common understanding of the person’s encounters and, therefore, serves as a kind of “naming ceremony” (Duran, 2019). Diagnosing can expand or constrain a person’s ability to relate with others and negatively affect their self-esteem, sense of self, and overall well-being. For instance, it can affect relations with family, friends, and community owing to increased stigma and discrimination or an augmented sense of connection and consideration.
Clinical Racism
Clinical racism has been described as discrimination and partiality in the healthcare system. Duran (2019) indicates that it is a major impediment to access to healthcare, particularly for disadvantaged groups, that can lead to adverse health outcomes. He states that it can result in a lack of empathy and understanding for marginalized communities, and given its prevalence, it has to be addressed and eliminated. I have not experienced cultural racism, but I have read reports of its existence in the American healthcare system.
Personal and Professional Insights
At a personal level, I gained a deeper comprehension of the multifaceted and unconscious inner developments affecting therapeutic relations for people seeking mental health treatment. Duran’s ideas on different subjects provide a basis for understanding the influences on a person’s relations with others, their sense of self, and overall well-being. At a professional level, Duran (2019) emphasizes the need to recognize and address the effects of transference and counter-transference in therapeutic relationships. I like the chapter, given the way Duran highlights the different challenges experienced in the healthcare system and recommends how they can be addressed, especially in mental health treatment.
Reference
Duran, E. (2019). Healing the soul wound: Trauma-informed counseling for indigenous communities. Teachers College Press.