Pathway 6 Wise Practices

Abstract

In Pathway 6 Darlene introduces into the book a concept called Wise Practices to share, with gratitude, the understandings already established through an Anishinaabeg way of knowing. Wise Practices offer an ethical and relational framework for culturally responsive and socially just counselling. Drawing on the concept of Wise Practices and the principle of Etuaptmumk, also known as Two-Eyed Seeing, the authors demonstrate how these lenses intentionally contextualize client, family, and community challenges, supporting the co-creation of change processes that are relationally and culturally attuned. This approach disrupts conventional eurowestern paradigms that privilege evidence-based or protocol-driven interventions. Instead a Wise Practices approach equally values practices that honour interconnectedness, reciprocity, and respect for Indigenous and other worldviews. By considering the whole person in context, a Wise Practices stance fosters therapeutic relationships rooted in balance and collective well-being that reflects commitments to relational ethics, Indigenous reconciliation, and the wholistic care of individuals and communities. The chapters in this pathway amplify and illustrate the concept of Wise Practices. This opens the door to embrace other culture-centred views of health, healing, and care, for example, Black Canadian perspectives on an Africentric framework for mental health care.

Co-Authors

Darlene Denis-Friske (she/her), DCP, RP, CYW is a registered psychotherapist who holds a Doctor of Counselling and Psychotherapy degree and currently works with a medical health team in the Ottawa Valley. Darlene began helping work over 35 years ago as a Child and Youth Worker and has worked in schools (elementary, secondary, adult, and alternative education), private practice, and a large psychiatric hospital in Northern Ontario (Sudbury). Darlene’s advocacy, research, and focus centre around a deeper understanding of Indigenous wholistic theory, ethics, and values. As an Algonquin Anishinaabe, Darlene facilitates helping work through a lens of Relational Wise Practices, which is an Anishinaabe expression of a Wise Practices concept. 

Sandra Collins (she/her), PhD, is a co-editor of this book. She writes from the perspective of a feminist, lesbian, cisgender, woman with an invisible disability, who is a white, retired professor, and inhabits a privileged social class. Over the 25 years of her academic and professional career, she focused her research, writing, and teaching on cultural responsivity and social justice in theory, research, and practice. This is her fifth book on these topics, two of which were awarded the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Counselling biannual book award. She also received a silver medal for best e-book design by the Independent Publisher Book Awards. 

Melissa Jay (she/her), PhD, RPsych, is a cisgender nehiyaw (Cree) member of the Métis Nation of Alberta and lifelong student of yoga philosophy. She is a cisgender, able-bodied woman who moves through the world with white-passing privilege. She is a psychologist and associate professor at Athabasca University. Her work is centred in reciprocity and relationship, decolonized healing, anti-oppressive practices, and the integration of ancient wisdom and psychology. Her intention is to share trauma-informed, culturally responsive care, alongside her ongoing collaborative research exploring relational accountability, Indigenous methodologies, and ethical engagement with community.

Citation

Denis-Friske, D., Collins, S., & Jay, M. (2025). Pathway 6 Embracing Wise Practices. In S. Collins and M. Jay (Eds.), Decolonizing health, healing, and care: Embodying culturally responsive and socially just counselling (Chapter 6.0). Counselling Concepts. https://doi.org/10.71446/hr46382947