Conference Presentation: Decolonizing Mental Health Through Inuit-Specific Programs

Presenting Our Inuit Mental Health Work at the 2022 Inuit Studies Conference

We recently had the opportunity to present at the Inuit Studies Conference alongside Brian Winters and Kelly Michelin-Morrissey, sharing our work developing Inuit-specific mental health programs. It was incredible to be able to speak about our collaborative efforts creating culturally responsive approaches for Inuit communities across Canada.

This work is fundamentally about decolonizing mental health - moving away from Western models that pathologize indigenous experiences toward approaches that recognize the inherent wisdom within traditional healing systems.

During our presentation, we explored the stark differences between mainstream Western mental health approaches and holistic methods that actually honor how healing happens.

We dove deep into our Inuit Mental Health Model research, walked through our Becoming Inummarik training program, and outlined where we see this work heading next.

The Inuit Mental Health Model document is freely available for download here, and we're actively looking for potential collaborators who want to help expand these programs across Canada.

Our vision is creating a network of Inuit practitioners who can serve their own communities using methods that honor traditional wisdom while addressing today's mental health challenges effectively.

Watch the full conference presentation to see how we're decolonizing mental health through Inuit-led, culturally grounded approaches.