For many APS members who were present at the APS Congress on 15 September 2016, when the Apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People was first read, the occasion remains a vivid memory.
The Apology was delivered by Professor Tim Carey FAPS, a then APS Board member and Vice President, who is now the Director of the Centre > Health Equity in Regional and Remote Communities at CQUniversity. Tim says the reading marked a historic moment for the profession. The reading, which followed a keynote speech by Australia’s first Indigenous psychologist, Professor Pat Dudgeon AM FAPS, prompted a standing ovation from more than 1500 delegates.
APS President, Dr Kelly Gough says, "The development of the Apology was an historic moment in our profession's history, signaling a time for the past to be acknowledged and, importantly, for changes to be made on the path ahead. It's not only about the words on the page – it's about actions. While progress has been made, ten years on we’re still committed to ensuring cultural safety in practice and working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to inform what that looks like going forward."
For Tim, who was central to the Apology’s development, simply ‘being on stage with someone like Pat Dudgeon was incredible.’ A decade later, it remains a powerful memory.
Remembering then: Reflections on the day of the Apology
“I still get emotional talking about it,” says Tim. “The response in the room afterwards was, for me, completely unexpected and overwhelming. I knew delivering the Apology was a big deal, but I didn’t anticipate the outpouring of emotion that occurred. People were hugging each other and crying.”
“It’s probably a good thing I didn’t anticipate what the reaction was going to be because I would have been even more daunted about reading it,” he adds. “I just wanted to get it right. It was an important statement and an important job, and I didn’t think I was the best person to do it. I wanted to make sure I honoured the task and did a decent job of reading it.”
Clinical psychologist, CEO of Thirrili, and proud Jaru and Bunuba woman, Tanja Hirvonen was an integral part of the small working group, alongside Pat and Tim, who wrote the Apology. Tanja also remembers the affecting nature of the day.
“It was an emotional day. Hearing the harms that the psychology discipline had caused formally acknowledged was deeply significant. For me, the Apology draws a line in the sand. It acknowledges that harm occurred, and that we have a responsibility to address it, and that we have an opportunity to do things differently moving forward. Acknowledgement is important, but it cannot start and stop there. We need to look honestly at the past, while also asking what needs to change to create a different future to ensure psychology benefits everyone. That includes ensuring Indigenous voices are at the table and meaningfully included in decision-making, so that psychology becomes culturally safe, accessible and effective for all people. We need to ensure that cultural safety is embedded in the way we learn about psychology, research and practice,” Tanja explains.
Tim says, “It was important to acknowledge that we’d gotten things wrong, that harms had certainly been done, and that we could do things better. We were acknowledging that it was time to start thinking about better ways of working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.”
He remembers being in Alice Springs not long after then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had delivered the National Apology to the Stolen Generations. Tim says, “People were still talking about how monumental it was. I thought that as a profession it was an important time to look at how we could be doing things differently.”
When speaking with emerging psychologists, Tanja says she references the Apology often, so that the moment isn’t overlooked. “For psychology to grow as a discipline, we must go through this journey of reflection. And that was a significant moment in time. If I carry out lectures or talk to students, I make sure they’re aware that the Apology took place, and what that means for their practice and work.”
Looking forward: The journey ahead
Now that 10 years have passed since the Apology was made, it’s time to look toward the future and evaluate where we as a profession can make further progress.
“It's not about just one moment of significance – it’s a journey that we need to continue,” Tanja says. “I believe that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People should not simply be included in psychology. Our diverse knowledge systems, cultural authority and expertise need to be recognised as valuable to the growth of the psychology discipline. It’s also important that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples continue to hold leadership positions in psychology now and into the future.
“This is psychology in Australia. We have more than 60,000 years of diverse Indigenous knowledge systems that are known to support wellbeing here. There is an opportunity for psychology to learn from, respect, and work alongside these knowledge systems.”
Tanja says while she has seen progress made in the decade since the Apology, she believes there is much more work to be done.
“For example, we need to ensure that diagnostic systems are culturally safe. I know there is important work happening in this space. We still see psychologists and researchers wanting to study Aboriginal people and communities, rather than working alongside or by invitation. That still happens, and it needs to change.
“There needs to be ongoing advocacy on important matters, such as racism and discrimination, and we need to strengthen psychologists’ capability to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Universities should ensure that the Apology is taught as part of their curriculum, so that all new psychologists coming into the field are aware. It’s important to know the journey of psychology in Australia to make sure we do not repeat the harms of the past,” she explains, adding, “Right now the gap is not closing for First Nations suicide, it’s widening. Ensuring that psychologists are working in culturally safe ways is critical. We have a responsibility to work in culturally safe ways and to ensure that the psychology we provide, does not perpetuate any harm.”
Tim credits Pat Dudgeon as the driving force behind curriculum change and, like Tanja, believes the psychology profession should be drawing on 60,000 years of ancient wisdom.
“We should be looking at the extent to which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, wisdom and expertise is included in the teaching of psychology courses at all levels. In healthcare generally, there’s a pervasive attitude by healthcare professionals that suggests, ‘I know what’s best for you and I know what life you should be living.’ And I don’t think we do know those things. We need to be guided by the perspectives of the people we’re seeking to serve. This becomes exponentially more important when we’re working with people from another culture,” he suggests.
Tim continues, “I think lots of new health professionals and lots of graduates do feel pressure to be ‘the expert’ and think they must be the one giving advice and suggestions. As health professionals, we absolutely have expertise, knowledge, and skills that our training provided us with, but I think the greatest expertise is about connecting with people and learning from them.”
Tanja explains that she would also like to see greater efforts to build cultural safety throughout the year, rather than engagement and learning being limited to activities such as participating in an annual NAIDOC march. Cultural safety requires ongoing learning, reflection, and development beyond university education, with people and sectors taking responsibility for continually strengthening their knowledge and practice.
“I’d invite people in the profession to ask themselves, ‘What are the actions I’m taking to ensure I’m working in a culturally safe manner? What am I continuing to learn? What are my own biases and assumptions, and how do my understandings of myself influence my work? And, how are the learnings that I’ve made embedded into my everyday practice?’ Making this reflection part of our day-to-day practice helps us to be culturally safe.”
Throughout the year, APS offers access to both APS and APS CPD Approved Events aimed at educating psychologists on culturally safe ways of working with, and alongside, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Members can also refer to our Professional practice guidelines for cultural safety in the provision of services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Since the Apology was made, cultural safety has become part of the ethical framework for psychologists, having been included in the Psychology Board of Australia’s 2025 Code of Conduct.
Pat Dudgeon also leads the work of the Australian Indigenous Psychology Education Project (AIPEP), which is an Aboriginal-led project pioneering the way toward transforming and decolonising university psychology education – which means change can begin from the moment emerging psychologists start learning about the profession.
“The Apology was a commitment to working differently, and that’s action-based – not just a statement. I’m proud to have been involved and to have been there when it was read, and I’m really excited to commemorate the event now. I’m equally excited to see what else we do to continue to grow as a discipline,” Tanja says.
On 15 September 2026, we will mark the 10-year anniversary of the Apology at a commemorative gathering at the APS offices. It will be a moment to reflect on the significance of the Apology, honour those who shaped it, and reaffirm our commitment to the work still ahead.