Locating Context in Counselling: The Development of Indigenous Psychology in South Africa

Abstract

This article attempts to foreground the role played by the local context in influencing the development of Indigenous Psychology. The development of psychology in South Africa is discussed in relation to global trends and models that describe the developmental process of any Indigenous Psychology. This discussion is illustrated with reference to the impact of African traditional beliefs on the psychological wellbeing of the indigenous people of South Africa, and the impact of not taking local context into consideration when conducting counselling; and to a particular research study conducted under the author's supervision. In terms of developing a South African Indigenous Psychology, the article concludes by outlining certain shifts necessary in order to move towards, in Azuma's model, indigenisation and integration.