The image of the tree: Indigenous thinking about psychotic functioning

Abstract

Three decades of listening to people suffering from psychosis is crystallised in the image of the tree. This narrative about mental health, in general, and psychotic symptomology, in particular, was created for daily therapeutic work in residential psychiatry. It is a person-centred and strength-oriented way of looking at the existential impact of psychologically alienating experiences. Although indigenously unique, the author believes the image is universal and can serve many.