Reconnecting with Collective Wisdom: Redefining Mental Health Care

In recent years, mental health care has often been framed as requiring a specific environment, delivered by trained professionals, following rigid protocols. This modern approach evolved during an era when higher education and scientific advancement were accessible only to a select few, leading to the marginalization of Indigenous and ancestral wisdom. As treatments have grown more sterile and detached, there’s a growing movement to reintegrate the knowledge and practices abandoned in the name of progress to develop collective care in mental health. As we return to this knowledge, another question arises: Can lay individuals and communities work to improve each other’s mental well-being?

Understanding the Roots of Mental Health Systems

Historically, psychological and medical practices have been wielded as tools of oppression, especially in marginalized communities. These systems often overlooked the power of collective care and healing. As Kristina Benoist (n.d.) argues, mental health systems were

designed in ways that excluded marginalized communities and robbed society of the benefits of communal well-being.

Anatomical Drawing of the Brain

Modern tools like the biopsychosocial model, developed by George Engel in 1977, attempt to take a more holistic approach. This may have been one of the first attempts to reconcile the power of modern medical technology with the importance of historical knowledge. The framework encourages providers to consider factors such as family, social support, education, genetics, living conditions, and more when understanding an individual’s well-being (Bolton & Gillett, 2019). More recently, scholars like Saad et al. (2017) have argued to expand this model to include spirituality—a broad concept encompassing meaning-making and connection to something greater than oneself. If these dimensions sound familiar to you, it may be because they are often utilized by Indigenous and ancestral cultures to influence the well-being of community members (Marques et al., 2021).

Indigenous Healing Practices as a Guide

Trees, deeply rooted, provide nourishment to each other.

Indigenous and ancestral healing systems have long emphasized the interconnectedness of individuals and their communities. Marques et al. (2021) describe how the Maori culture’s rongoā (traditional healing) links spirit, body, customs, plants, land, and family. This holistic approach views individual well-being as inseparable from their ties with others and the natural environment. By treating the source of illness or dysregulation rather than just symptoms, these systems promote healing for both individuals and their communities. This concept of healing through collective care is not only inspiring but potentially necessary in today’s overburdened mental health systems. Marques et al. (2021) highlight how these practices can guide modern interventions by emphasizing collaboration and shared responsibility for well-being.

The Potential of Peer-Based Support- Collective Care in Mental Health

Research is beginning to validate the benefits of collective and reciprocal care. Bernecker et al. (2020) found that peer-based mental health support can be both effective and scalable. By training nonprofessionals to provide therapeutic support, communities can "crowdsource" mental health care. Reciprocal peer counseling, where participants both give and receive support, creates a circular model of care that benefits everyone involved.

Many Hands Make Light Work-John Heywood

This approach aligns with the ADAPT model, initially implemented by the Warrior Surf Foundation*, a veteran service organization, in 2018 with great success. Based on evolutionary physiology concepts, ADAPT acknowledges the biological purpose of human response to various stimuli while honoring the value of culturally appropriate implementations of interventions. The model utilized by Warrior Surf Foundation empowers individuals who have participated as recipients of services to then become wellness coaches. By leveraging their personal experiences and community membership, they create a healing cycle within their community. This process mirrors Indigenous practices, emphasizing that “my healing is your healing, and that is our healing,”  ultimately leading to a shared sense of responsibility and, therefore, well-being.

Building a New Paradigm for Mental Well-Being

The potential of collective care extends far beyond veterans or specific groups. It offers a roadmap for organizations, businesses, and communities to reduce the strain on overburdened systems while fostering purpose and connection among members. We create an environment where autonomy, alignment, and shared purpose thrive by empowering individuals to contribute to collective healing.

Suppose we lean into the wisdom of ancestral and Indigenous practices. In that case, we have an opportunity to redefine mental health care—not as an individualistic pursuit but as a communal effort to uplift and empower one another. The question remains: Can we embrace this wisdom and work together to build a healthier, more connected world?

*As an ethical disclosure, the author of this article is a board member of this organization.

References

Benoist, K. (n.d.). What does it mean to decolonize mental health? Things to learn (and unlearn) about justice-oriented mental health care. IDONTMIND. Retrieved from https://idontmind.com

Bernecker, S. L., Williams, J. J., Caporale-Berkowitz, N. A., Wasil, A. R., & Constantino, M. J. (2020). Nonprofessional peer support to improve mental health: Randomized trial of a scalable web-based peer counseling course. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(9), e21200. https://doi.org/10.2196/21200 Bolton, D., & Gillett, G. (2019). The biopsychosocial model of health and disease: New philosophical and scientific developments. Palgrave Pivot. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11899-0

Marques, B., Freeman, C., & Carter, L. (2021). Adapting traditional healing values and beliefs into therapeutic cultural environments for health and well-being. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(1), 426. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010426 Saad, M., de Medeiros, R., & Mosini, A. C. (2017). Are we ready for a true biopsychosocial–spiritual model? The many meanings of “spiritual.” Medicines, 4(4), 79. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines4040079