NEWS AND MEDIA
THE YEAR 2026
Virgil Moorehead Jr & Amy Mathieson, 2026 Leadership Award Recipients
Congratulations to Dr. Virgil Moorehead Jr., PsyD (Yurok/Tolowa) and Amy Mathieson, LCSW, on receiving a prestigious award from the James Irvine Foundation. This recognition honors their transformative work integrating traditional cultural practices into behavioral health programming for Native youth and families in Northern California.
Through their leadership at Two Feathers Native American Family Services, they have built a culturally grounded, community-based model of care that blends mental health services, youth leadership development, and workforce pathways. Their work demonstrates what is possible when healing is rooted in culture, community, and opportunity. This award celebrates not only their professional excellence, but their shared commitment to uplifting Indigenous youth and strengthening Native communities.
February 2026
Sessiones de Sanacion wiht Dr. Tanya Erazo
This episode of Radio Cachimbona titled “Sesiones de Sanación” features psychologist Dr. Tanya Erazo discussing her personal experience with a traditional healing sesión de sanación led by Nahuat Pipil elders. She talks about how this indigenous healing practice helped her manage anxiety related to an upcoming open-heart surgery when Western medical advice wasn’t enough, explores how such traditional modalities can complement psychological care, and emphasizes the importance of respecting (not co-opting) indigenous traditions in therapeutic contexts.
February 2026
407. “Out There” Assessment: Arizona Tribal Communities w/ Dr. Vicky Lomay
In this episode of The Testing Psychologist, host Jeremy Sharp interviews Dr. Vicky Lomay about conducting psychological and neuropsychological assessments within Arizona tribal communities. Dr. Lomay shares insights from over two decades of work with Native American populations, discussing how culturally grounded practices, community relationships, and Indigenous perspectives shape ethical and effective psychological assessment. The conversation highlights the challenges and opportunities of practicing psychology in tribal contexts and offers guidance for clinicians interested in culturally responsive assessment work.
March 2026
The Gift of Being Different
The Gift of Being Different, a short documentary, follows Grant Bruno as he navigates the world of autism. Grant is a parent to Autistic children and a PhD researcher exploring autism in First Nations communities. Grant is a registered member of nipsihkipahk (Samson Cree Nation), one of the reserves that makes up Maskwacis, Alberta. Through the film we learn his community views autism as a gift.
April 2026
SEWÂTSIWIN : They Are Sacred - Directed by Kim O'bomsawin
In Indigenous traditions, differences were not seen as a handicap, but rather as a strength that could benefit the entire community. This was true for autistic people, who were considered to have unique gifts and a connection to the spirit world. As our peoples reclaim our traditional knowledge and philosophies, we also face a critical lack of resources adapted to our new reality. Through intimate encounters with Anders, Sewâtsiwin: They Are Sacred gives viewers unique access to the world of an autistic child and allows them to follow his father’s journey, dedicated to bringing traditional First Nations perspectives into our contemporary world.
April 2026
THE YEAR 2025
Indigenous Spirituality: Resilience in Decolonizing Mental Health
By Mark Standing Eagle Baez, PhD, LSP, LCDC, CART, MS/MA
In this powerful and deeply reflective piece, Dr. Mark Standing Eagle Baez draws from over 15 years of experience working across Indian Country to explore the critical intersections of Indigenous spirituality, resilience, and the ongoing movement to decolonize mental health. Grounded in Indigenous worldviews and healing traditions, this article challenges dominant Western psychological models and advocates for approaches that honor Indigenous knowledge systems, spirituality, and cultural identity. Dr. Baez weaves research, history, and personal insight to underscore the need for a culturally grounded, relational, and spiritually inclusive path forward in mental health care—one that supports Indigenous communities not just in surviving, but in thriving.
March 4, 2025
THE YEAR 2024
Indigenous Americans Resist Mainstream Psychology, Promote Alter-Natives
In the most recent edition of Daedalus, Joseph P. Gone explores the evolution of the Indigenous historical trauma construct, questioning traditional mental health paradigms and advocating for a reassessment of how psychological distress is conceptualized and addressed.
His paper, “Indigenous Historical Trauma: Alter-Native Explanations for Mental Health Inequities,” critiques established psychiatric and psychological frameworks, emphasizing the need for integrative approaches that consider individuals within their broader socio-historical environments.
April 4, 2024
Episode 151: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Relatives with Dr. Amanda Young
In Episode 151 Ben chats with Dr. Amanda Young. Dr. Young is Hidatsa of MHA Nation as well as an Anishinaabe of Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, both reservations of North Dakota. Amanda received her PhD in Counseling Psychologist from Oklahoma State in 2022. Her current research embraces the stories of Native women who are leaders within the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Movement in what’s colonially known as the U.S. She is hopeful this research will help rewrite the narrative of Native women, as we are more than a statistic. Currently, Dr. Young is completing her Postdoctoral Fellowship at Two Feathers Native American Family Services in Humboldt County, CA
May 2, 2024
