Ancestral Practice in Counselling
Ancestral practice in the therapeutic setting encourages clients to understand and connect with their birthright to be in relationship with their ancestors, and other-than-human living beings such as animals, nature, and planetary forces. Ancestral practice "seeks to fill cultural gaps where many of us were never supported to relate consciously with the larger web of kinship" (Ancestral Medicine, 2022). Animism in the therapeutic setting challenges concepts of human supremacy and encourages resourcing, healing and relationship with all living beings. Ancestral work encourages exploration of client's intuitive knowledge, supports understanding of ancestral experience, lineage healing, initiations, rituals and diverse ways of knowing.