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There is a growing recognition that for many people of African and Caribbean descent, having access to healing traditions which are rooted in their own, and their elder’s, culture can be both reassuring, and help to make sense of who they are, living in a modern western country but also in touch with a very different history and culture.
On this website you can hear about ways in which NHS health professionals, healers working in different African healing traditions and users of mental health services might be able to work together more closely to support the care and wellbeing of people with mental health problems.
In the voices section of this site you can hear some of those involved in discussions set up as part of a research project, run by the Tavistock Institute in partnership with East London NHS Foundation Trust, and funded by the Kings Fund.
Discussions explored the differences, and similarities between main stream and alternative - traditional or faith based - healing traditions, in their approach to helping people with mental health problems. This might be about helping people cope with the stresses of life that lead to ill health, providing support, and comfort, while they are ill, or helping them to return to a full sense of wellbeing. You will also hear about some of the difficulties in establishing a dialogue between practitioners of mainstream and African based healing traditions, and ways in which these difficulties might be overcome.
The themes section explores some of the key issues and messages that have emerged from the research project and the Action Learning Group set up as part of the project. The resources section has information about books, articles and websites where you can find more information about some of the issues discussed, and services from which you might be able to get assistance. A full report of the project will soon be available in the resources section.