The Future of Indigenous Psychology: Leadership, Identity, and Community with Dr. Vicky Lomay

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