Listening, Learning, and Reconciliation – Insights from Dr. Carolyn Wilkes

As part of our ongoing efforts to deepen understanding around trauma and reconciliation, we spoke with Dr. Carolyn Wilkes, PsyD, a clinical psychologist and mental health policy expert, about her experiences working with Indigenous communities across Canada.

Her insights offer a firsthand perspective on trauma-informed care, Indigenous ways of being, and the responsibilities of all Canadians in fostering reconciliation.

Q: You’ve worked in both frontline clinical care and leadership roles in mental health policy. What personal experiences have shaped the way you approach trauma work today?

Dr. Wilkes: My work with Indigenous people taught me Indigenous ‘ways of being’ which differ almost diametrically with western modes of being. For example, Indigenous ways of listening, of being present, of when and how they access care, of the need for holistic care that does not ignore other aspects of the self, and that intergenerational residential school trauma needs to be understood from beyond simply academic knowledge, but by the humanity of self.

Indigenous ‘ways of being’ must lead all aspects of mental health care for Indigenous people, from policy collaboration to the care services being provided, and all that is entailed in between, including access to care, modes of care, cultural appropriateness of care, who the care providers are, and most importantly, who defines therapeutic need. It must first be defined through Indigenous ‘ways of being’ not academic approaches, which can only come later.

Q: Having worked directly with Indigenous communities in the North, what did you learn from those experiences that continues to guide your practice now?

Dr. Wilkes: As a mental health practitioner, the greatest element of personal learning was to listen with my whole being. Mental health practitioners often believe they are experts at listening, after all their jobs require them to be. But it was my years with Indigenous survivors that truly taught me the art of deep listening with one’s whole being … listening to what intergenerational colonial trauma really is and what it has done to the body, mind, souls, and interconnectedness of Indigenous people.

Q: On a day like National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, what personal reflections come to mind for you as both a clinician and a Canadian?

Dr. Wilkes: First and foremost a deep sense of humility that my life includes the ability to learn and work with Canada’s Indigenous people, and secondly, a commitment to lifelong learning about what ‘reconciling’ requires from me, what it requires today, and what it might require tomorrow from all non-Indigenous Canadians.

Q: What drew you to specialize in trauma-related disorders, and how has that focus influenced your outlook on resilience and recovery?

Dr. Wilkes: Trauma is a profound injury to the self, and when understood in the context of racial and cultural genocide the impacts flow to all aspects of a person’s existence. For any level of healing or reconciliation to occur, cultural and racial trauma requires profound and continuous accountability by the culture/race committing the crimes and atrocities. I felt the need to take some of the ownership, if even just a small minute bit, knowing full well that I was not alive when the colonial genocide was perpetrated.

But I am here now, and sadly colonial discrimination and superiority continues. History requires us to listen. To openly take accountability for what has occurred and is occurring. Recovery requires that I stand up against continued discrimination, violence, and systemic blindness.

Q: If you could share one message with Canadians about the importance of listening to Indigenous voices on this day, what would it be?

Dr. Wilkes: Listen … listen with your heart. Make space for the stories and the pain. If they endured it, surely we can be strong enough to listen.

Dr. Wilkes’ reflections remind us that reconciliation is not just a day on the calendar - it is an ongoing commitment to listen, learn, and act. By centering Indigenous ways of being, acknowledging intergenerational trauma, and taking personal and collective accountability, Canadians can contribute to healing and more inclusive mental health care. Her insights serve as a powerful call to approach this work with humility, openness, and a willingness to truly hear the voices that have long been overlooked.