At the 2024 Pacifica Congress Conference in Cairns, psychologist Gayle Roe delivered a compelling presentation titled Cultural Competency in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Practice within Family Law. Her session was a powerful call to action for professionals working across disciplines to deepen their understanding of cultural security and trauma-informed care.

As Gayle observed:

“If we enhance our individual practices being respectful across cultures and promote cultural security and improve social and emotional well-being then we are working in the right direction.”

Central to her presentation was the Cultural Competence Continuum, a model originally developed by the Victorian Aboriginal Childcare Agency. Gayle explained how the Continuum maps the journey from cultural destructiveness to cultural proficiency, offering a framework for reflection and growth.

What struck many attendees was her observation that, despite widespread discourse around cultural inclusion, many elements of the lower stages of the Continuum still reflect current realities. This insight challenged the audience to critically assess how far we’ve truly come—and how far we still need to go.

Gayle’s reflections extended beyond frameworks. She spoke candidly about the enduring impacts of colonization on Indigenous communities, particularly in the context of trauma and loss. One of the most sobering moments came when she addressed the issue of family violence. Gayle shared that non-disclosure rates of violence against Aboriginal women are as high as 90%, and that most cases of sexual abuse involving Aboriginal children are never disclosed.

These statistics are shaped by a complex web of fear—fear of reprisals from perpetrators and kin, fear of the justice system, and fear of further violence following disclosure.

To close her presentation, Gayle shared the powerful YouTube video Swimming the River, which illustrates the challenges Indigenous Australians face in navigating systems not designed with their cultural realities in mind.