Facing a World of NO: How Accessible is a Career in Psychology for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians?
2012
As a discipline and profession, psychology has
far more to gain t
han lose by attracting
and supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Isla
nder Australians to pursue careers in
psychology. The availability of Indigenous he
alth professionals is an important, if not
critical, component of prov
iding culturally appropriate
services to Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people. If psychol
ogists are genuine about addressing the wide
gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous
health outcomes, an important way
forward is to increase the number of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
psychologists from the current total of fewe
r than 50 Australia-wide, which represents
only 0.3% of the profession. This paper draws
together interviews with 3 Aboriginal
women who have completed 4 years of accred
ited study in psychology. Their comments
provide insight into the barriers confron
ting many Indigenous people embarking on a
career in psychology, whether it is pursued
via a supervised practice pathway or
accredited postgraduate study. Learnings
include the importance of addressing
institutional and interpersonal racism,
challenging culturally-bound approaches within
psychology curricula, and ensuring cultura
l safety and support for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander students and graduates.
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