# Toward culturally responsive psychology higher education courses: psychologists’ perspectives on preparedness to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients

## TL;DR

This study finds that psychology education in Australia is not adequately preparing graduates to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients, highlighting a need for curriculum reform.

## Contribution

The study provides novel insights into psychologists' perspectives on their preparedness and offers specific suggestions for improving cultural responsiveness in psychology education.

## Key findings

- 91.43% of participants, including all Aboriginal psychologists, felt their training did not prepare them to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients.
- 87.5% of participants expressed apprehensions about working with Indigenous clients due to limited cultural understanding and concerns about perpetuating harm.
- Non-Indigenous participants suggested incorporating lived experiences, Indigenous-specific content, practical exercises, and adaptation guidelines into the curriculum.

## Abstract

Psychology course regulatory standards for Australian universities have evolved in that universities are required to include cultural responsiveness in psychology curriculum and demonstrate graduate competencies for working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients.

This study aimed to explore psychologists’ perspectives about the higher education (HE) psychology curriculum in relation to their preparedness to practice with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients and share their suggestions for improving cultural responsiveness and preparedness.

Psychologists (N=108, Female 83.2%, Male 16.8%, Aboriginal 13.9%, non-Indigenous 86.1%, age range 22–83) responded to an electronic mixed-method survey.

The majority of participants (91.43%, including all Aboriginal psychologists) reported that their psychology HE training did not adequately prepare them to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients. Moreover, 87.5% (Group 3 n=16) reported apprehensions about working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients for the first time. Limited understanding of culture, concerns for their competence, or worry about perpetuating harm underpinned psychologists’ apprehensions. Most participants (90.5%, n=85) indicated they plan to increase their knowledge in this area. Non-Indigenous participants suggested that the psychology curriculum should incorporate increased exposure to lived experiences (28%), Indigenous-specific information (e.g. the impact of intergenerational trauma; 24%), more practical exercises (20%), and guidelines for adapting existing clinical interventions (28%). The study also revealed indicators of racially motivated biases in some participants’ responses.

All Aboriginal and the majority of non-Indigenous participants reported that HE psychology training did not adequately prepare them to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients.

What is already known about this topic
Psychology as a discipline has perpetuated harm towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples due to its colonial heritage.Psychology higher education courses have typically taught a Westernised curriculum, often excluding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content, however this is changing.The current psychology workforce experiences a lack of preparedness to meet the needs of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples.
What this topic adds:
All Aboriginal participants and the majority of non-Indigenous psychologists reported their higher education courses were inadequate in preparing them to work culturally responsively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients.Most non-Indigenous psychologists reported apprehensions about working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients for the first time.There is a need to build educators’ capacity to Indigenise the psychology higher education curriculum to better prepare the psychology workforce to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients.

What is already known about this topic

Psychology as a discipline has perpetuated harm towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples due to its colonial heritage.

Psychology higher education courses have typically taught a Westernised curriculum, often excluding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content, however this is changing.

The current psychology workforce experiences a lack of preparedness to meet the needs of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples.

What this topic adds:

All Aboriginal participants and the majority of non-Indigenous psychologists reported their higher education courses were inadequate in preparing them to work culturally responsively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients.

Most non-Indigenous psychologists reported apprehensions about working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients for the first time.

There is a need to build educators’ capacity to Indigenise the psychology higher education curriculum to better prepare the psychology workforce to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients.