Decolonised Minds Podcast

Talha AlAli
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Mental Health

Decolonised Minds is a podcast on decolonial, trauma-informed, and socially just psychotherapy, hosted by Palestinian psychotherapist Talha AlAli. The series begins with a chapter-by-chapter exploration of Decolonised Minds: When Radical Becomes Rational, examining how colonial histories continue to shape psychological theory, diagnosis, and practice. It challenges the assumed neutrality of mainstream mental health frameworks and creates space for plurality, lived experience, and ethical responsibility. Drawing from clinical work across Palestine, Jordan, Libya, Ukraine, Ireland and other contexts, the podcast engages with themes such as intergenerational trauma, mental occupation, cultural memory, resistance, and the politics of care. This is a space for practitioners, students, and anyone engaging critically with mental health. This is not a neutral podcast. It is a necessary one.

Get exclusive episodes, early access, and more

$2.99/mo or $22.99/yr after trial

  1. Aug 19 • Subscribers Only

    Episode 17: Jason Arday and the Imperial Gatekeepers: Epistemic Asymmetry, Academic Integrity and Power

    Who gets to make a mistake inside the university? Who gets investigated, who gets believed, who receives institutional grace—and who gets turned into a public spectacle? In this episode of Decolonised Minds, I examine the controversy surrounding Professor Jason Arday and place it within the much longer history of the European university: institutions shaped by the Church, monarchy, colonialism and the power to decide what counts as legitimate knowledge. We look at Cambridge's own history of benefiting from slavery and colonial exploitation, the case of Cambridge professor William O'Reilly and his plagiarism of a student's work, and the scientific misconduct case involving Harvard professor Marc Hauser. We then go further back, examining how European knowledge was built through encounters with intellectual traditions beyond Europe, including the work of Ibn al-Haytham. The question is not whether academic integrity matters. It does. The question is whether academic integrity is always experienced in the same way by everyone. What happens when an allegation against a racialised academic becomes evidence in a much larger argument about merit, diversity and belonging? Why can institutional histories of exploitation be treated with complexity and historical context, while individual scholars are sometimes reduced to a single allegation? This is a conversation about epistemic asymmetry—the unequal distribution of credibility, authority, recognition and punishment within systems of knowledge. Academic integrity should mean accountability. But accountability without an examination of power can become another instrument of power. Listen, question the institution, and keep unlearning. #DecolonisedMinds #JasonArday #EpistemicAsymmetry #DecolonisingTheUniversity #DecolonialPsychotherapy #AcademicIntegrity #Colonialism #Coloniality #KnowledgeIsPower #EpistemicJustice #HigherEducation #CambridgeUniversity #AcademicFreedom #Racism #Decoloniality #PowerAndKnowledge #CriticalPsychology #SocialJustice #DecolonisingKnowledge

  2. Jul 31 • Subscribers Only

    Episode 16: The Psychology of Liberation: Martin-Baró, Paulo Freire and Frantz Fanon in Conversation

    What does liberation actually require? Can psychology, education and psychotherapy remain neutral in the face of oppression? In Episode 16 of the Decolonised Minds Podcast, I bring three of the twentieth century's most influential thinkers into conversation: Frantz Fanon, Martin-Baró and Paulo Freire. Although they wrote in different places and disciplines, they shared a profound concern with one question: how do systems of power shape the human mind, and what does genuine liberation demand of us? Together, we explore Fanon's analysis of the colonised mind, Martin-Baró's Psychology of Liberation, and Freire's vision of education as a practice of freedom. Rather than treating their work as historical theory, this episode considers what their ideas mean for psychotherapy, education, humanitarian work and social justice today. As a Palestinian psychotherapist, I also reflect on why these thinkers continue to shape my own understanding of trauma, healing and the ethical responsibilities of our professions. If psychology helps people adapt to unjust systems without questioning those systems, have we mistaken survival for liberation? This episode is an invitation to rethink resilience, expertise, neutrality and the role of professionals in societies shaped by inequality. It challenges us to ask whether our work simply helps people cope with the world as it is—or whether it contributes to creating the world as it could be. If you enjoy these conversations, please consider supporting the Decolonised Minds Podcast on Patreon. Your support helps me continue producing independent episodes exploring psychotherapy, coloniality, trauma and liberation through a decolonial lens. #DecolonisedMinds #LiberationPsychology #MartinBaro #PauloFreire #FrantzFanon #Psychotherapy #CriticalPsychology #Decolonisation #Coloniality #Trauma #SocialJustice #MentalHealth #Psychology #CriticalTheory #Education #HumanitarianAid #CommunityPsychology #KnowledgeJustice #Therapists #Liberation

  3. Jul 30

    Episode 15: Why Decolonisation Fails in Organisations: From Good Intentions to Structural Change

    In this episode of the Decolonised Minds Podcast, I explore one of the most pressing questions facing NGOs, humanitarian organisations, universities and social justice institutions today: Why do so many organisations speak about decolonisation, yet struggle to transform the way they actually work? Decolonisation has become a familiar part of organisational language. We see it in strategies, policies, conferences and funding proposals. But changing our vocabulary is not the same as changing our structures. Drawing on my experience working across humanitarian and mental health settings, I examine why organisations often reproduce colonial patterns despite the genuine commitment of the people within them. We explore coloniality, localisation, power, knowledge, organisational culture and the hidden assumptions that continue shaping institutions long after formal colonialism has ended. I also share the story behind why I created my Decolonising and Localising Organisations Handbook. After years of delivering workshops and consulting with organisations, I realised that awareness alone was not enough. Organisations needed more than inspiration—they needed a practical framework to help embed decolonisation and localisation into leadership, governance, decision-making and everyday organisational practice. This episode is not about blame. It is about moving beyond statements and intentions towards structural humility, shared power and meaningful organisational transformation. Whether you work in an NGO, humanitarian response, international development, healthcare, education, academia or community organisations, this conversation invites you to ask one fundamental question: What has our organisation actually surrendered in the name of decolonisation? If the answer is "nothing," perhaps what has changed is not the organisation, but only its language. Thank you for supporting the Decolonised Minds Podcast. Your support enables me to continue producing independent conversations that bridge psychotherapy, decolonial thought and social justice, while developing practical tools for organisations committed to meaningful change. #DecolonisedMinds #Decolonisation #Localisation #Psychotherapy #GlobalHealth #HumanitarianAid #InternationalDevelopment #NGOs #SocialJustice #OrganisationalChange #Leadership #TraumaInformed #KnowledgeJustice #Coloniality #StructuralHumility #CommunityLed #PowerAndPrivilege #SystemsChange #MentalHealth #HumanRights

  4. Jul 22 • Subscribers Only

    Episode 14: The Empire of Normal: How Colonialism Invented "Normal"

    In this episode of the Decolonised Minds Podcast, I explore one of the most powerful yet invisible legacies of colonialism: the invention of "normal." What if normal was never a neutral description, but a political and psychological project? From psychotherapy and psychiatric diagnosis to education, disability, race, gender, migration and productivity, I examine how one particular worldview came to define itself as universal while positioning all others as deviations from the norm. Drawing on my work as a Palestinian psychotherapist and the ideas developed in Decolonised Minds: When Radical Becomes Rational, this episode challenges us to reconsider the assumptions that shape our understanding of mental health, intelligence, success and even what it means to be human. This is not simply a discussion about history—it is an invitation to recognise how coloniality continues to shape our institutions, our relationships and our minds. If you find this episode valuable, please consider supporting the podcast by becoming a Patreon member. Your support helps me continue producing independent, decolonial content that bridges psychotherapy, social justice and critical thought. Coming this September: I'll also be facilitating a live Onlinevents workshop, Working with Coloniality in Therapy: Practical Tools for Therapists. While designed with therapists in mind, it is equally relevant for NGO professionals, educators, supervisors and anyone interested in practical approaches to understanding and working with coloniality. https://app.onlinevents.co.uk/events/oe-39214331 Thank you for supporting Decolonised Minds.

  5. Jul 15

    Episode 13: Scientific Cruelty & The State of Germany: From Shark Island to the Kentler Project

    What happens when institutions become more loyal to their theories than to the people they claim to protect? In this episode of the Decolonised Minds Podcast, we examine a disturbing pattern that stretches across more than a century of history. Beginning with the German colonial genocide of the Herero and Nama peoples in present-day Namibia and the use of human remains for racial anthropology, we explore how scientific authority, state power, and intellectual certainty have, at times, combined to strip vulnerable people of their humanity. The episode then turns to the Kentler Experiment in West Berlin, where vulnerable boys were knowingly placed with known paedophiles under the guise of progressive social science. Rather than treating these events as identical, we ask a deeper question: What happens when institutions redefine morality in service of ideology, expertise, or the promise of social progress? Through a decolonial lens, this episode challenges the assumption that unethical research belongs only to authoritarian regimes or the distant past. Instead, it explores how systems of power can normalise harm when abstract theories become more important than human dignity, and when the voices of survivors are silenced beneath the authority of experts. This is not simply a story about history. It is a reflection on the ethical responsibilities of science, psychology, education, and the modern state—and a reminder that the decolonisation of knowledge begins with refusing to sacrifice human beings in the name of progress. If you value independent, decolonial analysis that challenges dominant narratives, please consider supporting the Decolonised Minds Podcast by becoming a Patreon member. Your support helps keep this work independent and allows these conversations to continue. #DecolonisedMinds #Podcast #Decolonisation #Colonialism #Namibia #Herero #Nama #KentlerExperiment #History #Psychology #Psychotherapy #SocialJustice #ResearchEthics #Trauma #CriticalPsychology #MentalHealth #HumanRights #PoliticalPsychology #InstitutionalViolence #KnowledgeIsPower

  6. Jun 29 • Subscribers Only

    Episode 11: The Impact of Colonialism and Systemic Oppression on Mental Health in Ireland

    What happens when a nation's history is treated as a closed chapter, while its legacy continues to shape everyday life? In this powerful episode, we explore the often-overlooked relationship between colonialism, identity, trauma, and mental health in Ireland. From the suppression of Gaeilge and the cultural losses of colonisation, to the psychological legacy of the Great Famine, religious shame, institutional abuse, and the pressures of modern capitalism, this episode examines how historical forces continue to echo through the Irish psyche today. This is not a history lesson. It is an exploration of living memory. Drawing on decolonial psychology, trauma-informed practice, and Ireland's own traditions of resilience, storytelling, and community healing, this episode asks difficult questions: • How does colonisation continue to shape emotional wellbeing generations later? • What happens when a people lose the language that once held their stories? • How do shame, silence, and survival strategies become inherited? • What would a truly decolonised approach to healing in Ireland look like? The conversation also explores the intersections of migration, Direct Provision, racial trauma, and the ongoing challenge of creating mental health practices rooted in justice rather than neutrality. At its heart, this episode is about remembering. Remembering the stories that were silenced, the identities that were suppressed, and the wisdom that survived despite every attempt to erase it. Because the chapter is not closed. The ink is still wet. And the story is finally ours to write. #DecolonisedMinds #Ireland #IrishHistory #MentalHealth #Psychotherapy #Decolonisation #Trauma #IntergenerationalTrauma #Gaeilge #IrishIdentity #SocialJustice #Psychology #Healing #Colonialism #DirectProvision #TalhaAlAli

  7. Jun 29 • Subscribers Only

    Episode 12: Psychotherapy Without Therapy: A Decolonial Re-Reading of Healing, Power, and Social Justice

    Can psychotherapy still be called therapy if it has lost its ethical, relational, and political foundations? What if the biggest challenge facing modern therapy isn't whether it works—but what it has been designed to do? This episode will transform the way you see psychotherapy. For generations, psychotherapy has been presented as a neutral, scientific, and universal path to healing. But what if that story is incomplete? What if the way we understand distress, recovery, and even mental health has been shaped by history, power, colonialism, and economic systems far more than we realise? In this deep, thought-provoking episode, I take you on a journey through the hidden foundations of modern psychotherapy. Together, we'll explore how healing has evolved across cultures, how industrialisation and neoliberalism transformed the purpose of therapy, why neutrality is never truly neutral, and how structural injustice continues to shape psychological suffering. Using vivid analogies and accessible language, this episode challenges many of the assumptions therapists, psychologists, counsellors, students, and the public often take for granted. We'll explore questions such as: • Is psychotherapy really neutral? • Why is so much suffering treated as an individual problem? • What happens when therapy focuses on helping people adapt instead of questioning the systems harming them? • Can therapy become a practice of truth, justice, and liberation rather than simply symptom management? Whether you're a mental health professional, student, researcher, or simply someone curious about the future of healing, this conversation will challenge long-held beliefs and invite you to see psychotherapy through an entirely different lens. By the end of this episode, you may never think about therapy in the same way again. Stay with the work Talha

  8. Jun 29

    Episode 10: The Path Forward – From Reform to Revolution

    For too long, psychotherapy has focused on reforming systems that were never designed for everyone in the first place. But what if true healing requires something more profound than reform? What if it requires transformation? In this final chapter of Decolonised Minds: When Radical Becomes Rational, I explore what comes after critique. If previous episodes examined the colonial foundations of modern mental health practice, this episode asks the most important question of all: Where do we go from here? Using the metaphor of a grand cathedral built over an ancient spring, I examine how many of our psychological institutions continue to block access to forms of healing that have existed long before Western psychology claimed authority over human suffering. The challenge before us is not simply to diversify existing structures, but to rethink the foundations upon which they stand. In this episode, I discuss: • Why awareness without structural change becomes performance • The limitations of diversity initiatives that leave colonial systems intact • Decolonising psychotherapy training and education • Challenging gatekeeping and expanding definitions of expertise • The value of community knowledge, storytelling, and cultural wisdom • Healing the coloniser's mind through ethical self-reflection • Why neutrality in the face of oppression is not neutrality at all • Five practical actions for building a more just and humane mental health system This conversation is not about perfection. It is about responsibility. It is about creating forms of care that honour dignity, context, culture, and collective humanity. As Palestinian-Lebanese writer Etel Adnan reminded us: "The world needs to be reinvented. It can only be reinvented with consciousness." If you believe psychotherapy must move beyond cultural competence towards genuine liberation, this episode is for you. Support the podcast and help sustain independent decolonial mental health education: https://www.patreon.com/cw/DecolonisedMinds Thank you for walking this journey with me. — Talha AlAli #DecolonisedMinds #DecolonisedPsychotherapy #LiberationPsychology #TraumaInformedCare #MentalHealth #Psychotherapy #Counselling #SocialJustice #Decolonisation #CollectiveHealing #Therapist #Psychology #AntiColonial #Liberation #CommunityCare #HealingJustice #Trauma #EthicalPractice #TalhaAlAli #WhenRadicalBecomesRational

See All (18)

Trailer

About

Decolonised Minds is a podcast on decolonial, trauma-informed, and socially just psychotherapy, hosted by Palestinian psychotherapist Talha AlAli. The series begins with a chapter-by-chapter exploration of Decolonised Minds: When Radical Becomes Rational, examining how colonial histories continue to shape psychological theory, diagnosis, and practice. It challenges the assumed neutrality of mainstream mental health frameworks and creates space for plurality, lived experience, and ethical responsibility. Drawing from clinical work across Palestine, Jordan, Libya, Ukraine, Ireland and other contexts, the podcast engages with themes such as intergenerational trauma, mental occupation, cultural memory, resistance, and the politics of care. This is a space for practitioners, students, and anyone engaging critically with mental health. This is not a neutral podcast. It is a necessary one.

Information

  • Creator
    Talha AlAli
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Copyright
    © Decolonised Minds
  • Show Website
    Decolonised Minds Podcast
  • Provider
    Talha AlAli