Culturally appropriate counselling with Indigenous Resource Consultation

September 28, 2022

Providing a range of diverse, culturally appropriate mental health supports is critical to ensuring all Manitobans get the help they need.

Within our Employee Assistance Program (EAP),Indigenous Resource Consultation is just one part of our efforts.

Mitch Bourbonniere is one of the counsellors who helps connect clients seeking traditional Indigenous healing support with appropriate resources in the community.

Through decades of work with Indigenous individuals and communities across Manitoba, Mitch has developed close relationships and a strong network to help make these connections. With a master’s degree in social work, Mitch is an instructor at the University of Winnipeg and Urban Circle Training. A founding member of the original Bear Clan Patrol, Bourbonniere’s extensive work in the community has merited the Order of Manitoba, among many other recognitions.

At Manitoba Blue Cross, Bourbonniere works with Indigenous clients to ensure they get culturally relevant support when they ask for it.

“The relevant Indigenous cultural supports are usually folks that are known as Elders, knowledge keepers, traditional people and medicine people,” he says. “These folks have experience in supporting people who are seeking a physical, mental, emotional and/or spiritual intervention.”

A diverse range of supports include counselling, teachings, plant medicine and ceremonies. Clients may attend smudges, sweat lodges, cedar baths, Sun Dances or pipe ceremonies, depending on their needs and practices.

“I enjoy meeting people from the community and get great satisfaction at linking them up to good people,” he adds.

Mitch recalls one client that was looking to speak to an Elder for help.

“I was able to set that up through a local Women’s Centre, who has an Elder on staff who generously agreed to see this person and provide guidance,” he says.

When getting culturally relevant support, a counsellor/client fit is crucial, Bourbonniere says.

“It is important to know that not all people seeking intervention will have a good fit with all those providing service,” he says. “It’s important to listen to your intuition if the connection to the service provider or the intervention does not feel quite right. That is usually a good time to come back to either myself or our intake people to ensure that the fit is good or whether a new connection needs to be made.

“It’s also important to know that different ways of receiving help can occur simultaneously. For example, it is possible for someone to receive support and help from western techniques and medicines while they’re receiving support through Indigenous methods of healing. Of course, people have the choice to pursue either, neither or both."

Share on