Two-Eyed Counseling: A Nine Part Exploration of Indigenous Approaches to Healing Trauma

Recordings will be available for three months afterwards to all registered participants with sharing restrictions.

“Two-eyed seeing” is a concept that was originated by Elder Albert Marshall of Sydney, Nova Scotia, and Cape Breton University to give indigenous epistemology and knowledge equal status with mainstream scientific perspectives and knowledge. In M’iqmaq, the word is Etuaptmunk. In English, it means the idea of explanatory pluralism. Within most indigenous cultures, the mind is not considered separately from body, community, and spirituality, unlike the silos created in the dominant culture. Healing must involve the body, the community, and the spirits. In this nine-part online series, we are going to use the two-eyed seeing concept to explore how to work with trauma from both an indigenous perspective and contemporary neuroscience and psychological research. We are especially interested in the role that trauma plays in addictions and in the so-called “severe mental illnesses,” and how our approach to people in distress must also be trauma informed. We will explore Indigenous approaches to healing trauma related to childhood, historical and ongoing violence, domestic violence, and intergenerational trauma.

This program is designed for practitioners who provide counseling in indigenous communities. It is also open to those providing counseling in other communities who want to see how indigenous practices could enrich their work, as well as to others who are just curious about Indigenous cultures and mental health. 

The program will be led by Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona, a physician with experience working in indigenous communities and conventional medical settings, and author of several books on Native American culture and healing modalities, and by Barbara Mainguy, MSW, a psychotherapist working with the tribes in Maine. They will be joined by distinguished mental health practitioners from around the world: Albert Marshall, who will talk about the history of two-eyed seeing; Joe Tucci, an aboriginal man from Australia who directs the Australian Childhood Foundation of Australia; Bob Vetter, an anthropologist who has studied susto and curanderismo in Mexico and will speak to those processes in relation to trauma; Adrienne Giacon, Maori and Head of Hearing Voices New Zealand, who will talk about trauma work with voice hearers; Dr. Margaret Draskovich and friends from the Medical Sciences Program of the University of Alaska – Anchorage, based in Kodiak, Alaska, who will talk about efforts on Kodiak Island to heal historical and intergenerational trauma; Judy Atkinson, an aboriginal woman from Australia who wrote the book Trauma Trails, Recreating Song Lines: The Transgenerational Effects of Trauma in Indigenous Australia; Josie Conte and Magili Quinn, osteopathic physicians and Coyote Institute board members, who will discuss embodied approaches to trauma with osteopathic manipulation, movement, massage, and yoga.

We will use Google Classroom to post readings and discuss the topics when we are not live on Tuesday nights.

Please note: Life and time zones happen, and it is possible that one or more of our guests may need to be pre-recorded or won’t be able to attend at the last minute, in which case Lewis and Barbara will introduce you to their work. 

Schedule

October 27: Introduction to the Course. The neuroscience of trauma, and how we work with people who are traumatized. Presenters: Lewis Mehl-Madrona, MD, PhD, Barbara Mainguy, MSW

November 3rd: Further explorations of Two-Eyed Seeing or explanatory pluralism.  Albert Marshall will discuss the history of his development of the concept and how it has spread and his vision for the future.

November 10th: Joe Tucci from the Australian Childhood Foundation will present on Aboriginal trauma in Australia. He will be joined by one or more Aboriginal staff members from their organization.

November 17th:  Judy Atkinson and friends will present how they work with trauma, both immediate and historical/intergenerational in aboriginal communities in Australia. She is currently involved in working with grandmothers who are caring for children whose parents are in prison.

December 1st: Adrienne Giacon and friends on incorporating Maori concepts in working with voice healers, especially those who have experienced trauma.

December 8th: Margaret Draskovich and friends affiliated with the Medical Sciences Program at the University of Alaska – Anchorage (based in Kodiak) will explore the ways in which the indigenous people of Kodiak are healing historical and intergenerational trauma, including trauma inflicted upon children from addictions among the parents.

December 15th:  Josie Conte and Magili Quinn will discuss the role of osteopathic treatments, massage therapy, movement, yoga, and more for trauma work, as well as the ethics, problems, dilemmas of touch therapies, and energy medicine. 

December 22nd: Anthropologist and ceremonialist, Bob Vetter, will introduce you to susto illness, and the trauma healing system of curanderismo from his work with traditional healers in Mexico.

 December 29th: No presentations, but wrap-up discussions as we look back on what we have learned and where we should go next.