Resilient Journeys: Exploring the Experiences and Challenges of Pacific Clinical Psychology Students in Aotearoa Training Programmes

The monocultural nature of clinical psychology training in Aotearoa is untenable under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which requires preparing students to work effectively with Māori. This study extends this premise, amplifying the voices of ten Pacific clinical psychology students who shared their challenges navigating training programmes in Aotearoa universities. Using the Fijian qualitative method Veivosaki-yaga, students unpacked their challenges training within a monocultural academic environment that marginalises Pacific perspectives. Findings reveal that Pacific students’ experiences were characterised by constant dissonance between Western epistemological dominance and Pacific worldviews, values and identities. The cost of fitting into these spaces was for students to silence and compartmentalise their identities, carry the burden of cultural labour, and to perform culture when convenient to the institution. These insights highlight the urgent need for transformative changes to prioritise equity and create a truly inclusive, supportive environment for all students.