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Elder and Dr. Albert Marshall has been selected as the recipient of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association’s Professional Champion Award. Marshall, the sixth person to receive the honour, will be presented with his award during the opening ceremonies of CCPA’s annual conference on May 14.
The award honours and promotes the work done by individuals to enhance the lives of others through championing the role of counselling and psychotherapy theerby enhancing the mental health and well-being of people.
Past recipients include Senator Murray Sinclair, Lieutenant-General (retired) Romeo Dallaire, Mary Walsh, Grand Chief Sheila North, and Barbara MacCallum.
Dr. Marshall is an internationally respected Elder of the Mi’kmaw Nation. He lives in the community of Eskasoni in Unama’ki (Cape Breton Island, N.S.). Marshall’s contributions to the profession include the teachings of Etuaptmumk, a Mi’kmaw word/phrase for Two-Eyed Seeing.
“Etuaptmumk is a guiding principle and an action-oriented invitation to recognize the strengths that exist within diverse cultural knowledges, and in this particular context, Indigenous knowledges,” reads a statement from CCPA.
Etuaptmumk encourages a co-learning journey, rather than one knowledge system dominating over another, as opposed to Eurocentric knowledge systems. Etuaptmumk is used as a research method, theory, and guiding principle in counsellor education and practice.
“Albert has shared his cultural knowledges so willingly,” said Dr. Jenny Rowett, CCPA President 2019-2021.
“He has helped us to understand how the seven sacred teachings can be interwoven into our therapeutic work, and he continues to help us understand Indigenous approaches for health and healing, and the gaps that currently exist within our health care system.”