Book Review:  Eduardo Duran (2006).  Healing the Soul Wound, Counselling with American Indians and other Native Peoples, New York: Teachers College Press.

M. Honoré France and Carmen Rodriguez

University of Victoria

    We eagerly looked forward to this new book, Healing the Soul Wound, by Eduardo Duran after reading and being profoundly affected by his earlier work, Post-Colonial Native Psychology co-authored with Bonnie Duran and published in 1996.  Duran is quite clear about what the book is about: providing some strategies to heal the “soul wound,” intergenerational trauma, or historical trauma.  Duran’s writing style is sophisticated, but there is a great deal of clarity with excellent clinical examples of what he discusses.  From the very beginning he provides the reader with a rationale for what he expects the book to do:  “it will influence the practice of other therapists who are searching for a different way of doing psychotherapy” (p. 13).   In addition, two critical concepts of internalized oppression and liberation discourse are reoccurring themes throughout the book.  The 137 page book is divided into eight chapters plus an introduction and afterwards.  Each chapter has a theme and focuses on: the psychology of internalized oppression, over pathologizing original people, the healing/therapeutic circle, Historical trauma (healing the soul wound), the spirit of alcohol, diagnosis or treating emotional problems as living entities, community intervention and clinical supervision.

     Duran uses a great many metaphors in describing his ideas, such as the vampire metaphor, which is what the colonialist did when they came to Turtle Island  (the Americas).  As a result, indigenous people were infected with their internalized oppression, which then becomes a collective ailment.  The results were intergenerational trauma that results in self-hatred, domestic violence, as well as institutional violence, all of which are discussed in depth.  While it is clear that he deconstructs Western psychotherapy and provides specific strategies for dealing with some of the major issues facing indigenous people, he is also inclusive too.  For example, he uses quotes, stories and metaphors from Sufism, Buddhism (Tibetan), Zen as well as Native people.  We were not surprised that he particularly quoted from the works of Black Elk.  We also noted that he is even inclusive with his speech by using he and she interchangeable throughout the book and even pokes fun at himself during his therapist training.  However, it is the liberal use of examples that makes the book so helpful and specific in describing what to do with clients.

    Some counselling psychologists may have difficulty accepting some ideas, such as Duran’s belief that psychological research “…loses relevance when imposed on people of color because its orientation is basically micro-social, concentrating itself almost entirely on personal characteristics of the individual actors in social processes rather than on socio-historical factors (p. 8).  However, as Indigenous people we strongly support what he says and believe that it not only needs to be said, but that issues around historical trauma needs to be a new part of counselling philosophy and practice.  Duran believes that the mental health profession as been instrumental is fostering the colonial ideation of Native Peoples.  Thus, the book deals with counselling from a non-western perspective stressing ideas such as the need to have a closer relationship with natural processes.  One person that he quotes quite a bit is the anthropologist F. E. Clements (l932) that healing with indigenous people can be categorized into the following:

• Object intrusion;
• Loss of soul;
• Spirit intrusion;
• Breach of taboo;
• Sorcery.

   Duran believes that it is not as important to be indigenous to work with indigenous people, but to have “…a high level of training within the Western paradigm, as well as an excellent cultural understanding, to utilize these methods effectively” (p. 6).  That is objectifying healing with the process of “empirically tested therapies.”  In focusing the reader on looking at things differently, Duran states that it is important; in order to understand one should shift from psychologizing to spiritualizing.  In other words, counsellors need to go back to the original meaning of psychology – the study of healing the soul – by being a true therapist or soul healer.  He explains in a number of ways, that the Cartesian split, caused people to become estranged from their souls-spirit.  Duran says that if you want to be successful with Native clients, you need to deal with your own history otherwise you may unconsciously project onto the client.

    One of the methods Duran describes are his “dreamtime groups,” which he uses because there is inra-psychic material from the dream and it is a good tool for clients to use later in their recovery once they have left counselling.  He uses the metaphor of the “Coyote” who uses tricky language to deceive the ego who would censer the dream.  Since the dream often seems strange or full of symbols, the ego is tricked into letting it by.  It is also the way that the Creator speaks to humankind, so whatever is there is very important.  Duran then goes on to describe step by step his method of using dreams.  His approach is clear and once again, he uses excellent examples to demonstrate his approach.  

    “If we inflict a system that is based only on cognitions, as the logo-centric Euro-American tradition, we are committing hegemony (imposing a different worldview on someone) on the patient who believes otherwise” (p. 20).  Therapists are directly told that before they can work effectively with Native clients, they must explore their history and privilege.   He even goes further and states that it might even are a good idea for the therapist to apologize for his or her role in the soul wounding process.  Interestingly, Duran feels that all people in North America, even those from African, Asian, and European backgrounds, as well as those with an indigenous background have been colonized by what he calls the collective consumer process.  The colonization process affects people’s souls at a deep level.  However, his is rightly insistent that coming to grips with historical trauma is necessary both for the victim and the perpetrators.  

    In explaining what a counsellor can do, Duran uses his own experiences to explain how you start a new narrative.  For example, when working with different forms of violence, he says that his method of searching for answers is to pose simple questions such as: “where did you learn to do this?”  His rationale is that this will cause the client to explore and eventually understand historical trauma.  It also de-pathologizes the problem helping and takes away the blame of somehow being defective.  Duran goes on to say that clients will often respond to this question with the following answer:  “from my family or my parents.”  This is followed by the next question:  “Where did they learn it from?” which allows the lcient to see objectively the historical element of his or her problem.   In a sense, this leads towards the journey of “…formulating a counter hegemonic narrative to replace the colonial oppressing ideology” (p. 27).  It is in Chapters 4, 5 and 6, where specific examples of five cases what to do with issues relating to violence, living in balance, alcohol abuse, suicide, sexual abuse, depression and anxiety.  Some of the examples he describes are approaches with narratives and dream work, both individual counselling and group work. By using dialogues and explanations from case studies, Duran is able to specifically demonstrate his approach to the problems his clients bring him.  Case #5 is a good example of the long-term (13+ sessions) approach he took with a client who suffered from depression.  From beginning to the end, he describes his process, and literally puts a human face and soul to the problem.  When discussing object intrusion, Duran goes back to traditional Native beliefs such as naming a sickness so the client begins to see the relationship with the energy of the sickness.  Illness, including emotional illness, is not seen as being inherently bad, nor is it to necessarily be wiped out.  Once the relationship is established with the illness, the client can find out the purpose for the illness and then work at harmonizing his or her life. 

    There is no question in our minds that Duran has followed through in his desire to describe strategies for healing the soul.  In addition he has also made suggestions for what counsellors need to do in order to be cultural competent with their clients.  Specific suggestions are made for what counsellors need to do in or to become more cultural competent.  Essentially, he is say that in order to be an effective counsellor and education, you need to know where your center is, which “…is the process…[of] being in constant awareness of his own soul’s healing process” (p. 46).  He paraphrases the words of Black Elk who said that the center of the universe was everywhere, although not everyone realizes that.  One of examples that Duran gives is telling his students from a variety of backgrounds to find out where they came from and what their creation story is.  As Aboriginal therapists and educators, we strongly recommend this book to not only counsellors working with aboriginal clients, but anyone who is interested in diversity.