Revisiting psychotherapeutic practices in Karnataka, India: Lessons from indigenous healing methods

Title

Revisiting psychotherapeutic practices in Karnataka, India: Lessons from indigenous healing methods

Creator

Varghese K.J.; Gopal B.; Thomas T.M.

Description

Psychotherapeutic practices in India observes a paradigm shift with the current focus on the indigenous movement which has hit the discipline of Psychology like any other stream in Social Sciences and Humanities. The professional challenges and issues faced by the mental health professionals in this country has always revolved around on the 'uncanny' realm of myths, beliefs and religions as far as mental illness is concerned (Prasadarao & Sudhir, 2001). Efforts have been initiated in exploring the cultural and social roots of the health-illness constructs as well as debating on the possibility of 'integration' of these different philosophies. This paper is designed to understand the various therapeutic forms and processes in indigenous healing practices and to analyse the negotiation between indigenous healing practices and psychotherapy with special reference to Karnataka, one of the States situated in the Southern part of India. The study approaches the cultural landscape of Karnataka state based on a qualitative research design wherein in-depth unstructured interview of healers and mental health practitioners and systematic observation of some indigenous healing forms are adopted as methods of data collection. The paper concludes by looking at the challenges of constructing ethnospecific interventions in psychotherapy and the need to develop more cultural-specific theories taking into account the cultural history of the community.

Source

International Journal of Health Promotion and Education, Vol-49, No. 3, pp. 128-136.

Date

2011-01-01

Publisher

Institute of Health Promotion and Education

Subject

India; Indigenous healing; Karnataka; Mental illness; Psychotherapy

Coverage

Varghese K.J., Department of Psychology, Christ University, Bangalore 29, India; Gopal B., Department of Psychology, Christ University, Bangalore 29, India; Thomas T.M., Department of Psychology, Christ University, Bangalore 29, India

Rights

Restricted Access

Relation

ISSN: 14635240; CODEN: IHPEF

Format

Online

Language

English

Type

Conference paper

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.1080/14635240.2011.10708219

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