Decolonizing Evaluation of Indigenous Guidance and Counseling Approaches: A Review of Selected Evaluated Programs

Abstract

Indigenous guidance and counselling approaches in Africa have been discussed in different counselling forums and platforms. While there are several, including Ubuntu philosophies from which indigenous counselling therapies used in clinical work are developed (Chigangaidze, 2021; van Dyk & Matoane, 2010), the researcher experiences these therapies as being pushed to align with the colonial counselling therapies. In this research article, the researcher makes an analysis of five articles on evaluations of indigenous guidance and or counselling therapies. Although most programmes developed for indigenous people may follow curricula and culturally suitable activities (Ridani, Shand, Christensen, Mckay, Tighe, Burns, & Hunter, 2015),  rather than to appreciate the metaphysical and cognitions, connectedness and relatedness of Africanism, evaluations seem to be linear from the literature reviewed (Poirier, 2015; Craig,1979), pointing to the grip colonialism still has on evaluation of counselling therapies.  This understanding has led one to wonder if evaluation of African indigenous counselling procedures has been decolonized or continue to follow colonial methods of evaluation. The author proposes in this article, the use of African-Relational models of evaluation, in assessing indigenous counselling programmes, where African researchers can make conclusions that resonate with African contexts (Chilisa, Major, Gaotlhobogwe, & Mokgolodi, 2016).