Clinical dance between traditional medicine and modern mental health

FOR MANY of us, healing starts in the home, in ritual, in community, and in deep spiritual connection. As both a clinical psychologist and iGqirha, a Xhosa divine healer, I have come to understand that mental wellness in Africa cannot be fully supported without acknowledging the value of African traditional medicine and spirituality.

- ANELE SISWANA

African traditional medicine matters

For centuries, African communities have turned to indigenous healing systems to address physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges. These systems include the use of medicinal plants, spiritual divination, ancestral rituals, and the strength of communal support. For many, traditional medicine is not “alternative” — it is the first and most trusted form of care.

Unfortunately, over the years, traditional healing practices have often been dismissed or viewed with scepticism in mainstream medical settings. Yet, in my clinical work, I see how many patients quietly seek help from both health facilities and spiritual healers, such as amagqirha, izangoma, prophets, and abantu bomoya, those commonly referred to as traditional healers, for support because both hold value in different ways.

In South Africa’s current mental health landscape, one of the greatest opportunities we have is to integrate African wisdom with modern clinical approaches. This integration does not mean replacing one with the other —it means recognising how they can complement each other to heal more fully.