What happens when psychology is viewed through the lens of Indigenous knowledge, community, language, and lived experience?
In this episode, Ben welcomes Dr. Vicky Lomay, a Navajo (Diné) clinical psychologist, assessment specialist, educator, and leader in Indigenous psychology. Dr. Lomay shares her journey from engineering student to psychologist and reflects on how growing up in a bilingual Navajo household shaped her understanding of healing, wellness, and human behaviour.
The conversation explores the intersections between Indigenous knowledge systems and Western psychology, including cultural impacts on assessment, diagnosis, trauma treatment, and mental health care. Dr. Lomay discusses why many traditional Indigenous healing approaches represent generations of what she calls "practice-based evidence," long before Western psychology developed similar concepts and terminology.
Ben and Dr. Lomay also discuss the challenges of psychological assessment in Indigenous communities, the risks of cultural misinterpretation during evaluation, and the importance of understanding language, history, ceremony, and context when working with Indigenous clients.
The episode concludes with a discussion about leadership, mentorship, and the future of Indigenous psychology through organizations such as the Society of Indian Psychologists and the American Psychological Association's American Indian and Alaska Native Section.
Watch the video! https://youtu.be/3K-L9uVa6gs
Connect with Dr. Vicky Lomay
Tsinajini Psychology Services
https://tsinajinipsych.com/
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicky-t-lomay-phd-5320626/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/tsinajini_psychology
Society of Indian Psychologists (SIP)
https://www.nativepsychs.org/
Alaska Native/American Indian/Indigenous Women (Section 6 of the Society For The Psychology of Women)
https://www.div35.org/sec6
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also enjoy these previous conversations exploring Indigenous knowledge, mentorship, cultural responsiveness, and decolonizing psychology:
From Invisibility to Belonging: When Indigenous Students Finally Feel Seen
Featuring Mikala Chee, Sanoe Rapozo, and Abbey Woldt
https://www.behaviourspeak.com/e/from-invisibility-to-belonging-when-indigenous-students-finally-feel-seen-with-mikala-chee-sanoe-rapozo-and-abbey-woldt/
Mentorship as Medicine with Dr. Anna Kawenní:io Fetter
https://www.behaviourspeak.com/e/268-mentorship-as-medicine-with-anna-kawennison-fetter-phd-edm/
The Sweetgrass Method with Dr. Mark Standing Eagle Baez
https://www.behaviourspeak.com/e/episode-111-the-sweetgrass-method-a-culturally-responsive-approach-among-american-indianalaska-native-peoples-with-dr-mark-standing-eagle-baez/
The Decolonization of the Mind with Dr. Michael Yellow Bird
https://www.behaviourspeak.com/e/episode-162-the-decolonization-of-the-mind-with-dr-michael-yellow-bird/
Explore the full Indigenous Voices collection: https://www.behaviourspeak.com/category/indigenous-voices
