DeepSummary
This episode of The Take podcast focuses on the role of traditional healers in South Africa and their increasing importance in addressing mental health issues. Al Jazeera correspondent Drew Ambrose shares his experiences exploring traditional healing practices across the world, including in South Africa, for his documentary series 'Mindset'.
Ambrose highlights how access to mental health professionals is often limited and expensive in South Africa, leading many, especially young people, to turn to traditional healers. He interviews a psychologist who emphasizes the need to understand cultural backgrounds when providing mental health support, and points out that there are around 200,000 traditional healers in the country.
Ambrose himself participates in traditional healing rituals like 'throwing the bones' and a cleansing ceremony at a waterfall, finding the experiences profoundly impactful. He concludes that while traditional healing may not be suitable for severe mental illnesses, it can play a valuable role in addressing issues like grief and anxiety, filling a void that conventional psychology cannot.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Traditional healers play a vital role in addressing mental health issues in South Africa, where access to professional psychology services is limited.
- There are around 200,000 traditional healers in South Africa, reflecting the cultural significance and demand for their services.
- Traditional healing practices like 'throwing the bones' and cleansing ceremonies can provide a sense of understanding, guidance, and companionship that conventional psychology may not fulfill.
- While traditional healing may not be suitable for severe mental illnesses, it can be valuable for addressing issues like grief and anxiety.
- It is important for mental health professionals to understand and respect cultural backgrounds and practices when providing support.
- Traditional healing fulfills a universal human need for understanding, guidance, and companionship, transcending specific cultural contexts.
- Al Jazeera correspondent Drew Ambrose's personal experiences with traditional healing rituals in South Africa profoundly impacted his perspective on their role and significance.
- The relationship between traditional healers and their patients is often deeply intimate and personal, with the healer playing a holistic role in the patient's life.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Now, for me, as a western practitioner, it is my responsibility to understand a person's cultural background, to help them appropriately and refer them adequately. People are embracing their africanism and not just wanting to conform to western culture.“ by Lorado Dacobicolane
- “Those are things that psychology or psychotherapy cannot necessarily fix.“ by Cape Town University Student
- “I mean, if you're not healthy mentally, then it's sort of like you're not living.“ by Cape Town University Student
- “When you look at the shared human experience, I feel that traditional healing is very much aligned with having a relative that's always with you kind of mixed with a life coach.“ by Drew Ambrose
- “And to me, I thought, you know, it's such an intimate relationship in so many ways.“ by Drew Ambrose
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Episode Information
The Take
Al Jazeera
6/7/24
Seeking traditional healers in South Africa has grown as a popular method for dealing with mental health issues. They have come a long way - from being criminalized to being preferred by many today over psychologists. An Al Jazeera reporter discovers and experiences the methods of traditional healers and what it means for mental health.
In this episode:
- Drew Ambrose, @drewambrose, Presenter and Series Producer
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan. With Sarí el-Khalili, and me Kevin Hirten in for Malika Bilal. It was edited by Amy Walters.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.
Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.
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