Presentation Information
[SY-41]Reimagining Healing: Traditional Wisdom and Cultural Integration in Global Psychology & Psychiatry
Hung-Tat (Ted) Lo1,3,7, Mami Yanai1,2,5,6, Roy Moodley3, Meetu Khosla4 (1.Integrative Mental Health Centre of Torotno(Canada), 2.LOGOEARTH(Japan), 3.University of Toronto(Canada), 4.University of Delhi(India), 5.Inochi no ie(Japan), 6.International Journal of Traditional Healing & Critical Mental Health (IJTHCMH), Christ University(India), 7.Hong Fook Mental Health Association(Canada))
Keywords:
Traditional Healing Practices,Global Mental Health,Cultural Psychiatry,Indigenous Knowledge Systems,Flourishing and Well-being
Cultural psychiatry began in the 19th century with curious psychiatrists examining so-called “exotic” cultures. In the 21st century, however, the world has become deeply interconnected—practices in one culture increasingly influence others. To truly understand and advance global psychiatry, we must engage with the rich healing traditions that have developed across diverse societies for thousands of years.
This symposium brings together voices from Canada, India, and Japan to explore how traditional wisdom can meaningfully inform and transform contemporary mental health practices. Rooted in embodied, spiritual, and relational knowledge systems, each presentation offers a culturally grounded approach to healing as a process of both personal integration and collective flourishing.
We begin with a critical examination of Euro-American psychiatry, highlighting the limitations of the biomedical model and advocating for a pluralistic, justice-oriented framework that centers lived experience, cultural humility, and holistic care.
Drawing from Indian psychology and indigenous healing practices, the next presentation shares empirical insights from tribal communities in Northeast India, emphasizing spiritual rituals, emotional regulation, and holistic well-being.
From Japan, an experiential approach to healing is introduced through aesthetic, somatic, and symbolic practices grounded in traditional philosophy. Delicious Moments Therapy (DLM) and its broader framework, Delicious Life Design (DLD), illustrate how culturally rooted modalities grounded in emotional literacy and aesthetic ritual can support grief work, resilience, and human flourishing.
Finally, a reflection on five decades of psychiatric practice in Canada, and involvement with multiple cultural groups around the world, the speaker offers seven modes of integrating traditional medicine with contemporary psychiatry—ranging from systemic collaboration to ethno-specific services.
This symposium invites dialogue—not hierarchy—between traditional and contemporary approaches. Together, we envision a model of global psychiatry that honors ancestral wisdom, promotes cultural inclusion, and supports the healing of individuals and communities alike.
This symposium brings together voices from Canada, India, and Japan to explore how traditional wisdom can meaningfully inform and transform contemporary mental health practices. Rooted in embodied, spiritual, and relational knowledge systems, each presentation offers a culturally grounded approach to healing as a process of both personal integration and collective flourishing.
We begin with a critical examination of Euro-American psychiatry, highlighting the limitations of the biomedical model and advocating for a pluralistic, justice-oriented framework that centers lived experience, cultural humility, and holistic care.
Drawing from Indian psychology and indigenous healing practices, the next presentation shares empirical insights from tribal communities in Northeast India, emphasizing spiritual rituals, emotional regulation, and holistic well-being.
From Japan, an experiential approach to healing is introduced through aesthetic, somatic, and symbolic practices grounded in traditional philosophy. Delicious Moments Therapy (DLM) and its broader framework, Delicious Life Design (DLD), illustrate how culturally rooted modalities grounded in emotional literacy and aesthetic ritual can support grief work, resilience, and human flourishing.
Finally, a reflection on five decades of psychiatric practice in Canada, and involvement with multiple cultural groups around the world, the speaker offers seven modes of integrating traditional medicine with contemporary psychiatry—ranging from systemic collaboration to ethno-specific services.
This symposium invites dialogue—not hierarchy—between traditional and contemporary approaches. Together, we envision a model of global psychiatry that honors ancestral wisdom, promotes cultural inclusion, and supports the healing of individuals and communities alike.