A Theory for Indigenous Australian Health and Human Service Work

Lorraine Muller outlines a theory for professional practice with Indigenous clients in the human services, based on traditional Indigenous knowledge and spirituality.

Winner of the 2015 Educational Publishing Awards Australia - Scholarly Resource

Most people of European background are not aware that they see the world through the lens of the Western tradition, but for Indigenous people, it can seem like a foreign language.

Indigenous ways of thinking and working are grounded in many thousands of years of oral tradition, and continue among Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people today. Lorraine Muller shows that understanding traditional holistic approaches to social and emotional wellbeing is essential for practitioners working with Indigenous clients across the human services. She explores core principles of traditional Indigenous knowledge in Australia, including relatedness, Country, circular learning, stories, and spirituality. She then shows how these principles represent a theory for Indigenous practice.

A Theory for Indigenous Australian Health and Human Service Work offers a deep insight into Indigenous Australian ways of working with people, in the context of a decolonisation framework. It is an invaluable resource for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous practitioners and researchers in health, social work, community work, education and related fields.

'In today's global environment, where Indigenous Peoples continue to fight for self-determination, Muller's work is an exemplary model of Indigenous self-determination. It is bound to be a foundational model of Indigenous practice in field of health and well-being.' - Michael Hart, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Knowledges and Social Work, University of Manitoba

'Lorraine Muller's work covers some centrally important issues for those that work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and who want to understand indigenous knowledge frameworks.' - Dr Mark Wenitong, Apunipima Cape York Health Council

About the Author

LORRAINE MULLER is a Murri woman with many years experience in community work. She holds a PhD in Social Work, and is an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow in the School of Medicine and Dentistry at James Cook University, where she is undertaking her second PhD.