Dr. Alanaise Ferguson

Biography

Alanaise Ferguson is an Indigenous scientist-practitioner educator with a focus on Counselling Psychology. Her work aims to decolonize mental health practices, particularly in addressing serious manifestations of colonial violence, including gang-related violence and gender-based violence. As an Indigenous Registered Psychologist in British Columbia, she actively provides services to Indigenous communities. Alanaise has contributed significantly to the creation of educational opportunities in Indigenous psychology, having worked on redeveloping the Aboriginal Counselling Program at Brandon University and designing curricula at the Justice Institute of British Columbia and the University of British Columbia. Her scholarship bridges psychology with Indigenous studies, prioritizing the mental health needs of Indigenous communities and advocating for processes that facilitate identity reclamation and collective healing in the context of historical colonial traumas. Her insightful work has garnered attention from the Mental Health Commission of Canada, where she served as an advisory member for Children and Youth Mental Health from 2009 to 2012. Currently, her research engages with Indigenous language practices and family group counselling, striving for meaningful changes in counselling practices through Indigenous language revitalization and intersectional knowledge.

Research Interests