Wainwright, Jacinta, Gridley, Heather and Sampson, Emma (2012) Facing a World of NO: How Accessible is a Career in Psychology for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians? The Australian Community Psychologist, 24 (2). pp. 143-151. ISSN 1835-7393

Abstract

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.

Search Google Scholar

Repository staff login