Mental health support shouldn’t make you feel broken.
And yet, many people who walk through the doors of therapy have already internalized the idea that something is “wrong” with them—that they are flawed, sick, or damaged.
But what if healing didn’t begin with fixing?
What if it began with remembering your wholeness?
At Juniper Counselling, we believe that decolonizing mental health starts with a shift in thinking. It begins when we let go of the assumption that people need to be corrected, and instead meet them with the deep respect that comes from Indigenous, relational, and land-connected ways of knowing.
From Sinners to Sacred Wholeness: A Shift in Worldview
In Western psychology, much of mental health theory is rooted in colonial, religious, and medical models—ones that often frame people as:
sinners to be redeemed,
problems to be fixed,
or dysfunctions to be treated.
This approach can reinforce shame and powerlessness. It encourages therapists to diagnose instead of understand, and clients to internalize blame rather than recognize resilience.
But many Indigenous and non-Western frameworks begin from a different truth:
That people are not broken—they are whole.
That healing is not individual—it is relational.
And that we are not separate from nature—we are interconnected with the land, our ancestors, and our communities.
What Does Decolonizing Therapy Look Like?
Decolonizing therapy doesn’t mean discarding all of Western psychology—it means challenging the hierarchies, assumptions, and biases baked into it.
In practice, this might look like:
Seeing clients as experts of their own lives, not passive patients
Acknowledging the impact of colonization, racism, intergenerational trauma, and cultural loss
Creating space for spirituality, ceremony, and land-based healing
Prioritizing relationship, consent, and community accountability over clinical detachment
Practicing cultural humility instead of cultural “competence”
At Juniper Counselling, we walk alongside you, not ahead. We’re committed to doing our own unlearning as helpers—to show up with curiosity and care, not certainty.
You Are Not a Problem to Be Solved
You are a bundle of gifts. A sacred being shaped by your story, your culture, your pain, and your strength.
We believe therapy should reflect that.
Whether you’re Indigenous, racialized, queer, disabled, neurodivergent—or simply someone who’s felt unseen in traditional therapy—we want to co-create a space where your voice is centred, your culture is respected, and your healing is possible.
Let’s Shift the Conversation
Decolonizing mental health isn’t a destination—it’s a practice. A remembering. A return to connection.
And it starts with how we see ourselves.
💚 Juniper Counselling Port Moody
We create safe spaces so you can be brave. Book a free consultation now
