Beyond the skulls of our colonised ancestors – Reflections on psychoanalysis and South Asian culture

This paper examines the integration of cultural sensitivity, cultural insight, cultural attunement as post-colonial methodologies in contemporary psychotherapy. It interrogates the feasibility and implications of cultural competence, asking: Can a therapist possess meaningful knowledge of all cultures? And, what does it mean to be culturally attuned and informed in therapeutic practice? As clients increasingly seek cultural awareness and recognition in the clinical space, this shift challenges both European and non-European practitioners to reflect on their framework and assumptions. Cultural nuances may be difficult to grasp unless a therapist shares a similar culture, religion, or tradition with the client. The therapist’s curiosity may be received as genuine interest or as ignorance and a lack of knowledge. This may have a potential risk of positioning the client as an educator and reinforcing their experience of otherness. Drawing on theorists such as Lowe and Samuels, the paper cultivates what Lowe terms a ‘thinking space’ and Samuels regards as a reflective terrain of contemplation and critique. Through personal reflections, clinical vignettes, and critical engagement with post-colonial psychoanalytical thought, the paper contributes to a growing discourse that reimagines the analytic field through a decolonising and cultural lens.