Talanoa with Pasifika youth and their families

Abstract

The Pasifika community in Aotearoa and abroad pride themselves on their relationships to their family, village and community. One’s ability to engage genuinely with Pasifika people will provide a pathway for meaningful relationships to be established and positive outcomes achieved. When meeting with Pasifika youth and their families for an assessment/interview, there is more to the clinical and practical implementation of this process. From a Samoan perspective, this article will discuss the cultural elements crucial to engagement for Pasifika youth by providing an understanding of the Pasifika worldview, and drawing on the Seitapu framework of cultural and clinical competency. A clinical interviewing model is presented and adapted for Pasifika youth and their families and will conclude with practical examples to guide engagement with this population. The purpose of this article is likely to provide professionals and agencies with an understanding of Pasifika youth and their families and how to engage with them clinically, yet more genuinely within a cultural framework of practice.