Dirty Work as Sacred Work — Toward a Radical African Psychology

Clinical Psychologist and Healer Anele Siswana joins me in this episode to explore what it means to heal through both Western psychology and African spirituality — and why those two worlds often fail to meet.Together, we unpack how colonisation redefined what “clean” and “valid” healing looks like, and what it takes to decolonise the ways in which we understand mental health.Key themes:Reclaiming African spiritual and psychological traditionsThe ongoing impact of colonisation on African identity and practiceThe need for African psychology to respond to African problemsThe courage to show up as healer and psychologist.Books referenced: “Only Love is Real” and “Many Lives, Many Masters” by Dr Brian Weiss"Note: At one point in the episode, Shudu mistakenly says “transgression therapy” — she actually meant “regression therapy,” a technique popularized by Dr. Brian Weiss.