with Lewis Mehl-Madrona & Barbara Mainguy

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Doctor Lewis Mehl-Madrona has dedicated much of his long career to reconciling traditional Indigenous healing knowledge with modern evidence-based scientific paradigms and to demonstrate that a number of Indigenous healthcare modalities can be every bit as efficacious as mainstream medical methods, if not more so, in the treatment of many psychological disorders.

In this 2-day intensive workshop, we will begin by exploring a Maori approach, “Two-Eyed Seeing,” which uses the art of listening and observation without assuming outcomes to empower patients to successfully come to grips with a range of mental issues, including psychotic episodes. We will compare Native and current mainstream counseling techniques with a special focus on the concept of the “soul wound,” i.e. intergenerational trauma and internalized oppression, and how it can be healed.

We will then delve into two other modalities: Method of Levels (MOL) and Narrative Therapy.

MOL, a cognitive approach to psychotherapy, helps us listen to ourselves, teaches us how to negotiate between conflicting values, and equips us with tools to change self-destructive behavior and improve our decision-making capacity.

Narrative Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that helps patients identify their values and skills using the transformative power of storytelling. Stories teach us meaning and purpose and how to live and behave in the world. We will learn how to use stories and judge them with a critical eye to decide if a particular story is true and good for us and our family and community (and the planet!).

We will conclude the weekend by discussing how Indigenous mental health therapies can speak to other cultures. We will also place a special emphasis on the crucial importance of the concept of forgiveness in mental health.

Note: A Google Classroom with lots of resources (videos, articles, links) and a way for attendees to begin a conversation prior to the workshop will be provided. Access to the Google Classroom will be given upon registration.

This workshop is recommended for:

• laypersons
• mental health practitioners
• medical doctors
• nurses
• social workers
• counselors and psychologists

CEU’s, CME’s will be made available

Special Note for Maine Residents: Lewis would also like to invite Maine residents who would like to join him face-to-face in a socially distanced environment at the University of Maine to participate in live demonstrations of how to apply these methods during this workshop.

Note: This program will be offered online. Sessions of all our online programs will be recorded and shared with registrants after each is completed for a limited time only.