As an Indigenous mental -health professional, I take a holistic approach to wellness, focusing on creating and maintaining balance in different aspects of life. On one hand, I’m a registered social worker, with a Master’s degree from the University of Toronto. However, I’m also an Anishinaabe (Ojibwa) deer-clan woman, and a member of Serpent River First Nation. Blending these two perspectives offers a unique approach to wellness, as well as child counselling and adult therapy methods, with great benefits to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
Indigenous approaches to healing tend to be proactive. Rather than curing or managing illness, they focus on promoting wellness by maintaining mental, physical and spiritual balance. In therapeutic language, this is called a “strengths-based” approach. In Indigenous practice, it’s rooted in the belief that we are each born with unique gifts and strengths, and these are needed to build and maintain healthy communities. Ideally, these gifts should be cultivated and honoured, so we can fulfil our responsibilities to family and community. As we foster a balanced connection between mind, body and spirit, we’re building a foundation of healthy practices, and allowing wellness to flourish.
When I speak of the mind, I’m referring to the intellectual aspect of ourselves: learning, creativity, emotion, imagination and problem-solving. Meanwhile, our bodies are constantly working to regulate our temperature, breathing, digestion and so on, while our senses process essential information about our environment. When I mention spirituality, people often think of religion. While religion is based on spiritual beliefs, in broader terms, spirituality simply means feeling connected to something outside of ourselves. This could be a sense of belonging that comes from friendship, community or connection to the natural world.
Proactive therapy: maintaining strong connections between mind, body and spirit
I invite you to work on building and maintaining healthy connections between your mind, body and spirit, by taking some time to honour your unique gifts and strengths. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
Mind
- Take a class or a workshop to learn a new skill or craft.
- Play problem-solving games or have a game night with friends and family.
- Use a journal or calendar to schedule time for yourself and your work
Body
- Connect to your body in ways that work for you: go for a walk, have a 5-minute dance party to your favourite song or do some gentle stretches throughout the day.
- Try to eat nutritious food at regular intervals throughout the day
- Create and maintain a routine for personal and sleep hygiene that works with your energy level and schedule.
Spirit
- Spend time with friends, in person or virtually.
- Connect with the natural world by looking up at the sky or taking a walk in your neighbourhood. Spend time caring for pets or plants in your home.
- Create personal rituals that bring you fulfillment, such as meditation, lighting a candle or reading a spiritual text.
- Take time to honour yourself as a human being—allow yourself to take breaks, rest and work on hobbies that bring you joy.
Engaging in these types of practices—or whatever versions of them work for you—will strengthen your mind-body-spirit connections. These simple but crucial connections will help you embrace your natural gifts and support your wellness.
Your Therapy is a safe, welcoming, counselling therapy practice that offers confidential, mental health assessment and treatment in the Greater Toronto Area. Thanks for reading and, as always, please feel free to reach out with questions about mental wellness.