{"id":504,"date":"2026-04-15T13:51:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T20:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/decolonizing-health-healing-care\/?page_id=504"},"modified":"2026-04-17T14:12:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T21:12:36","slug":"practice-7","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/decolonizing-health-healing-care\/practice-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Practice 7 Ethical Space"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"Decolonizing<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Chapter 3.4<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practice 7 Ethical Space: Walking Alongside<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

By Sandra Collins, Melissa Jay, Jessie King, Lisa Gunderson, and Gina Wong<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Book: Decolonizing Health, Healing, and Care<\/a>
Published: June 1, 2025
Publisher: Counselling Concepts<\/a>
Chapter DOI: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.71446\/pn13548602<\/a>
Book ISBN: 978-0-9738085-6-8
Format: ePub
Distributor: Vital Source<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Purchase your copy at<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Vital Source<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Abstract<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In this chapter Sandra, Melissa, and Jessie enhance understanding of cultural safety through analysis of power and privilege and intentional work to dismantle power imbalances within therapeutic relationships. The unique, valuable, and essential standpoints held by those in often-marginalized sociocultural positions are amplified, inviting power-sharing and equal valuing of diverse approaches to health, healing, and care in both professional theory and client\u2013counsellor relationships. The authors assume a constructivist epistemology, noting how ideological positionings often influence therapeutic relationships through the overt or covert persistence of sociocultural norms and discourses. They point to health-limiting dominating discourses that are often supported through existing power structures in society and within the fields of counselling and psychology. These dominating narratives or stories find expression through power-over valuations that result in othering (i.e., positioning clients\u2019 perspectives as \u201clesser than\u201d or \u201cdifferent from\u201d). Jessie guides readers to move into an ethical space in which cultural biases can be challenged and cultural safety can grow. Navigating ethical space with humility and awareness requires therapists to reflect intentionally and honestly on the knowledge, privileges, and biases they bring into this space. It is within this ethical space that stereotypes can be dismantled and cultural appreciation can blossom. Leaning into ethical space fosters cultural courage in lowering defenses and disrupting excuses for maintaining cultural biases and assumptions. Moving into this in-between, relational space is supported by deconstruction: the dismantling of behind-the-scenes sociocultural narratives that shape personal and collective perspectives. Deconstruction is integral to the processes of decolonizing and Indigenizing counselling practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sandra, Melissa, and Jessie are grateful for the practice illustrations offered by these co-authors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n