Walking with Two Ways of Knowing: Lessons from Two-Eyed Seeing and Indigenous Mental Wellness

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC

Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc.

Posted: July 30, 2026

Learning from the Land, Learning from Each Other

As a therapist practicing in Nova Scotia, I have the privilege of working alongside individuals

and families from many different backgrounds, cultures, and communities. One of the greatest lessons I have learned throughout my career is that healing does not belong to any one profession, discipline, or worldview.

There are many ways of knowing, many ways of healing, and many ways of understanding what it means to be well.

This month, I wanted to reflect on a concept that has deeply influenced healthcare, education, and community work across Atlantic Canada: Two-Eyed Seeing.

Developed by the late Mi'kmaw Elder Albert Marshall from Eskasoni First Nation, Two-Eyed Seeing encourages us to learn to see the world through both Indigenous and Western

perspectives—not choosing one over the other, but recognizing the strengths of each.

As a non-Indigenous therapist, I write about this with humility and respect. My intention is not to speak for Indigenous peoples or teachings, but rather to acknowledge the wisdom they offer and reflect on what I continue to learn from them.

What Is Two-Eyed Seeing?

The Mi'kmaw concept of Etuaptmumk, often translated as Two-Eyed Seeing, invites us to view the world through two lenses:

One eye recognizes the strengths, knowledge, and teachings of Indigenous ways of knowing.

The other eye recognizes the strengths and contributions of Western science and medicine.

Together, both perspectives create a fuller understanding than either could alone.

Rather than competing viewpoints, they become complementary ones.

In mental health, this can be a powerful framework because healing is rarely one-dimensional.

Mental Health Is More Than Symptoms

In Western mental health care, we often focus on symptoms, diagnoses, treatment plans, and evidence-based interventions.

These are important and valuable tools.

At the same time, Indigenous approaches to wellness often emphasize something broader: the interconnectedness of mind, body, spirit, family, community, culture, and land.

Many Indigenous wellness frameworks recognize that a person's emotional well-being cannot be separated from their relationships, identity, spirituality, or connection to community.

When I think about this perspective, I am reminded that mental health is not simply the absence of illness.

It is the presence of connection.

Connection to ourselves.

Connection to others.

Connection to culture.

Connection to purpose.

Connection to the land.

What the Land Can Teach Us

One of the most beautiful lessons I have observed from Indigenous teachings is the importance of relationship with the natural world.

Many therapeutic approaches today encourage grounding exercises, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and spending time in nature.

Indigenous communities have long understood what research is only now catching up to: that our relationship with the land matters.

The ocean, forests, rivers, and skies of Nova Scotia are not merely scenery.

They can become places of reflection, healing, learning, and belonging.

As someone who grew up in foster care and spent much of my childhood searching for stability safety, I understand the importance of finding places that help us feel grounded. Nature has provided that for me.

Community as Medicine

Another lesson I continue to learn is the importance of community.

Western culture often emphasizes independence.

We celebrate self-sufficiency and individual achievement.

Yet many Indigenous approaches remind us that healing is often relational.

We heal in connection.

We heal through stories.

We heal through belonging.

We heal through family and community.

We heal when we know we are not alone.

As therapists, we sometimes focus on what happens inside the counselling room. Indigenous

perspectives remind us to also consider what happens outside of it.

Who supports this person?

What community do they belong to?

How connected do they feel?

These questions matter.

A Personal Reflection

Some of the most meaningful professional experiences of my career have come from working with Mi'kmaw families, communities, Elders, and service providers throughout Nova Scotia.

What I have learned is not that Indigenous communities need Western professionals to teach

them how to heal.

Rather, I have learned that there is much wisdom already present within communities.

I have learned the value of listening before speaking.

I have learned the importance of cultural humility over cultural expertise.

And I have learned that healing often happens when we approach one another with respect,

curiosity, and a willingness to learn.

The more I practice, the more I realize that being a good therapist is not about having all the

answers. It is about being willing to continue learning.

What Culturally Responsive Care Means

At Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc., we strive to provide culturally responsive care.

For us, this means recognizing that every person's story is shaped by their culture, community, values, beliefs, and lived experiences.

It means asking questions instead of making assumptions.

It means recognizing that people are the experts of their own experiences.

And it means remaining open to the many different ways healing can occur.

Walking Forward Together

The concept of Two-Eyed Seeing offers something powerful for all of us—not just healthcare

professionals.

It reminds us that we do not have to choose between perspectives.

We can learn from one another.

We can remain curious.

We can acknowledge the strengths of different ways of knowing.

And we can recognize that wisdom often grows when we are willing to see through more than one lens.

Final Thoughts

As we move through the summer months here in Nova Scotia, I find myself reflecting on the

beauty of the land we share and the diverse communities that call it home.

Two-Eyed Seeing reminds us that healing is often strongest when we bring together knowledge, respect, relationship, and humility.

Not by speaking over one another.

But by learning alongside one another.

And perhaps that is one of the most important lessons of all.

Sign-Off

With humility, gratitude, and a commitment to lifelong learning,

Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC

Registered Counselling Therapist

Founder & Clinical Director

Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc.

A Reflection for You

What might change in your relationships, your work, or your personal growth if you approached differences not as barriers, but as opportunities to learn?