“We Get Our Healing Through Traditional Ways”: Canadian Indigenous Women's Use of Violence Against Women Shelters, Mainstream Counseling, and Traditional Healing

Abstract

We know little about what services are accessed by Indigenous women abused by intimate partners (IPV). This mixed-methods secondary analysis examines the demographics and narratives of 40 Canadian Indigenous women regarding their use of violence against women (VAW) emergency shelters (55%), second-stage VAW shelters (7.5%), mainstream community counseling (70%), and Indigenous healing practices (42.5%). Five women who identified as LGBTQ or two-spirit accessed community services but not VAW shelters. The women had experienced severe IPV, but scored below clinical cut-offs for depression, psychological distress, and PTSD. They described strengths, concerns, and barriers in accessing services. Implications for counselors are presented.