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Jilya: How One Indigenous Woman from the Remote Pilbara Transformed Psychology
Running time 13 hours and 23 minutes
From humble beginnings in the remote Pilbara, psychologist and Nyamal woman Tracy Westerman has redefined what's possible at every turn.
Despite neither of her parents progressing past primary school, and never having met a psychologist before attending university, Westerman was the first Aboriginal person in Australia to complete a PhD in Clinical Psychology, rising to become one of the country's foremost psychologists. Against significant odds, she commenced her own private business to challenge the way the mental health profession responds to cultural difference, and recently established a charitable foundation and scholarship program to mentor Indigenous people from our highest-risk communities to become psychologists.
In this ground-breaking memoir, Westerman draws on client stories of trauma, heartbreak, hope and connection from her years of practice, offering a no-holds-barred reflection on how the monocultural, one-size-fits-all approach to psychology is failing Aboriginal people and how she's healing those wounds.
Jilya is a story of drive and determination, of what it takes to create change when the odds are stacked against you. Above all, it is a story of one woman's love for her people.
2025, NSW Premier's Literary Awards Indigenous Writers Prize, Winner
2025, NSW Premier's Literary Awards UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing, Winner
From humble beginnings in the remote Pilbara, psychologist and Nyamal woman Tracy Westerman has redefined what's possible at every turn.
Despite neither of her parents progressing past primary school, and never having met a psychologist before attending university, Westerman was the first Aboriginal person in Australia to complete a PhD in Clinical Psychology, rising to become one of the country's foremost psychologists. Against significant odds, she commenced her own private business to challenge the way the mental health profession responds to cultural difference, and recently established a charitable foundation and scholarship program to mentor Indigenous people from our highest-risk communities to become psychologists.
In this ground-breaking memoir, Westerman draws on client stories of trauma, heartbreak, hope and connection from her years of practice, offering a no-holds-barred reflection on how the monocultural, one-size-fits-all approach to psychology is failing Aboriginal people and how she's healing those wounds.
Jilya is a story of drive and determination, of what it takes to create change when the odds are stacked against you. Above all, it is a story of one woman's love for her people.
2025, NSW Premier's Literary Awards Indigenous Writers Prize, Winner
2025, NSW Premier's Literary Awards UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing, Winner
14 pages, Audible Audio
First published September 3, 2024
144 people are currently reading
659 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
March 10, 2025
Tracey Westerman really has earned the title of
The Westerman Effect
.
This book is for everyone. Mostly I am thinking of the necessity of the book in the academic field as this is where I work. Alarmingly this book is for loan, it is not attached to a reading list to any psychology units, which is part of the wider problem. Tracey addresses this, amongst so much more. Indigenous issues are not addressed in university psychology courses, it is impossible for non indigenous practitioners to understand the myriad of issues the indigenous population have in relation to seeking treatment and counsel.
The author has committed her life and profession to educating organisations and individuals, running workshops, and creating psychological testing tools to assist the psychology industry. She made them herself. Entering uni after senior home schooling with a few high school friends, I was very impressed at her work ethic at this young age. She earned a combined Masters and PhD in Clinical Psychology as the first Aboriginal to do so. Tracey also talks of her insane (insane in a good way) commitment to create her business, forego leisure time and build this practice by her own two hands.
She explains there is zero specific Indigenous cultural data provided in ANY university degree and WHY this is detriment. You would get a token Aboriginal individual present one time. This is not representation.
In the theme of building, she has created an 'Army of Indigenous Psychologists' via scholarship and the Jilya Institute. I see why this is her life's work, the push back and lack of understanding at the highest levels in Australia has made her work extra hard. She needs to work extra hard. Her peak physical fitness allows her to do this, others would crumble.
Thank you UQP for my physical copy to review. I want to tell health care professionals, students and teachers about this one, I've already started to do so.
This book is for everyone. Mostly I am thinking of the necessity of the book in the academic field as this is where I work. Alarmingly this book is for loan, it is not attached to a reading list to any psychology units, which is part of the wider problem. Tracey addresses this, amongst so much more. Indigenous issues are not addressed in university psychology courses, it is impossible for non indigenous practitioners to understand the myriad of issues the indigenous population have in relation to seeking treatment and counsel.
The author has committed her life and profession to educating organisations and individuals, running workshops, and creating psychological testing tools to assist the psychology industry. She made them herself. Entering uni after senior home schooling with a few high school friends, I was very impressed at her work ethic at this young age. She earned a combined Masters and PhD in Clinical Psychology as the first Aboriginal to do so. Tracey also talks of her insane (insane in a good way) commitment to create her business, forego leisure time and build this practice by her own two hands.
She explains there is zero specific Indigenous cultural data provided in ANY university degree and WHY this is detriment. You would get a token Aboriginal individual present one time. This is not representation.
In the theme of building, she has created an 'Army of Indigenous Psychologists' via scholarship and the Jilya Institute. I see why this is her life's work, the push back and lack of understanding at the highest levels in Australia has made her work extra hard. She needs to work extra hard. Her peak physical fitness allows her to do this, others would crumble.
Thank you UQP for my physical copy to review. I want to tell health care professionals, students and teachers about this one, I've already started to do so.
October 21, 2024
Every person from or living in Australia NEEDS TO READ THIS. Jilya is one of the most powerful Aboriginal texts I’ve read that encapsulates the honest truth about Aboriginal culture, truama, suicide, and the depths of psychology. This book breaks stereotypes and reveals the complexity of cultural competency and the barriers faced daily due to government policies and funding. Dr Tracey Westerman - what a fucking hero, congrats on a deadly book.
September 10, 2024
Jilya, meaning ‘my child’ in the Nyamal language is a book that should be read by all Australian politicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, youth workers, police, prison officers and so on (you get my drift!).
Dr Westerman was the first Indigenous person to graduate with a PhD in Clinical Psychology and this part memoir/part academic ‘how to’ book is the culmination of her 20 plus years working as a clinical psychologist in some of the most difficult areas of loss, grief, trauma, suicide, youth justice and child protection.
Working largely outside of government in a business she set up in her twenties,Dr Westerman has developed a range of culturally and clinically validated screening tools; trained over 50,000 people in the use of these tools; and more recently developed a scholarship program that is assisting 55 young Indigenous psychology students. She has done all of this with absolutely no government funding, which in some ways has given her the freedom to be passionate and outspoken - things that bureaucrats don’t like!
As a retired Social Worker one of the statements that resonated with me was ‘if you get assessment wrong, you get treatment wrong and you make things worse….assessment is the starting point of everything’. This is particularly true for Indigenous people who have always been seen and treated through a monocultural white lens. Throughout the book Dr Westerman outlines her learnings from her work with complex individuals and communities and explains the importance of cultural assessment and treatment, particularly in relation to suicide, grief and loss.
Dr Westerman’s passion and determination to ‘close the gap’ and improve the mental health of Indigenous people is inspiring and evident on every page of this incredible book. Her own story, and the stories she shares of others, gave me some hope for the future.
Dr Westerman was the first Indigenous person to graduate with a PhD in Clinical Psychology and this part memoir/part academic ‘how to’ book is the culmination of her 20 plus years working as a clinical psychologist in some of the most difficult areas of loss, grief, trauma, suicide, youth justice and child protection.
Working largely outside of government in a business she set up in her twenties,Dr Westerman has developed a range of culturally and clinically validated screening tools; trained over 50,000 people in the use of these tools; and more recently developed a scholarship program that is assisting 55 young Indigenous psychology students. She has done all of this with absolutely no government funding, which in some ways has given her the freedom to be passionate and outspoken - things that bureaucrats don’t like!
As a retired Social Worker one of the statements that resonated with me was ‘if you get assessment wrong, you get treatment wrong and you make things worse….assessment is the starting point of everything’. This is particularly true for Indigenous people who have always been seen and treated through a monocultural white lens. Throughout the book Dr Westerman outlines her learnings from her work with complex individuals and communities and explains the importance of cultural assessment and treatment, particularly in relation to suicide, grief and loss.
Dr Westerman’s passion and determination to ‘close the gap’ and improve the mental health of Indigenous people is inspiring and evident on every page of this incredible book. Her own story, and the stories she shares of others, gave me some hope for the future.
July 19, 2025
An outstanding text from the first Aboriginal PHD in clinical psychology, Dr Tracy Westerman. I spent three weeks slowly absorbing this book, highlighting and taking notes as I went. Westerman's world first research on trauma, and the unique psychological needs of First Nations people clearly outlines how we should be caring for the most vulnerable Australians. I will be thinking of this book for years to come.
August 12, 2025
Incredibly powerful and informative.
March 8, 2025
Amazing! Such an incredibly smart, brave and ambitious woman. Such an incredible and jarring read so important
August 26, 2025
This is a book about Westerman's insights more than her life, and that is a fabulous thing. Jilya articulates clearly and persuasively the case for culturally competent and informed psychology in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Westerman explains what they looks like, at a high level, how it fits within mainstream (Freudian tradition?) analysis and treatment, and why it can work more effectively than one-size-fits all ideas. There are bits of traditional memoir woven in, but these are far less engaging than when Westerman is explaining her mission in life and why she knows it can make such a difference. This means engaging both with racial trauma, and with cultural practices which can challenge Western assumptions about rational vs delusion perceptions. She is always rigorous, clear and direct in explaining her practice and unapologetic in advocating for recognition and funding of the programs she has developed and sustained. It makes for a thought-provoking and optimistic read - a rare find which provides not only a critique, but a pathway forward.
August 18, 2025
Wow, Tracey Westerman is truly exceptional.
This is an important read and I have had a complete mind shift, one which was long overdue.
This is an important read and I have had a complete mind shift, one which was long overdue.
November 19, 2025
Jilya took me a while to read because it deals with pretty heavy topics like suicide and depression. However, it is an incredible read; the work that Tracy westerman has done is so important. She presents her solutions and her findings in such a straightforward way that it seems crazy that the government would not implement them. It's also really awesome to see such great work come out of Western Australia!
March 1, 2025
I’ve been dying to do one of Tracy Westerman’s workshops for years but finding money for extra training during student life can be difficult so it’s on my list of things to do once i’m working again - so i was very pleased to hear this book was being published and it definitely exceeded my expectations.
Honestly this book is so incredibly inspirational, educational, insightful and hopeful despite the awful and disgusting reality of the very preventable problems Tracy is trying to address. What’s more is Tracy never lets anger, resentment or despair distract from her message which shows a level of wisdom and maturity i dont think i have reached.
I think every Australian should read this, not just those interested in psychology! It is an artful blend of memoir, psychoeducation and plea for a better future and I was thoroughly captivated till the last page. Needless to say her training will be at the top of my list going forward and that i will be following her future endeavours.
Honestly this book is so incredibly inspirational, educational, insightful and hopeful despite the awful and disgusting reality of the very preventable problems Tracy is trying to address. What’s more is Tracy never lets anger, resentment or despair distract from her message which shows a level of wisdom and maturity i dont think i have reached.
I think every Australian should read this, not just those interested in psychology! It is an artful blend of memoir, psychoeducation and plea for a better future and I was thoroughly captivated till the last page. Needless to say her training will be at the top of my list going forward and that i will be following her future endeavours.
September 5, 2024
Jilya is a story of Dr Tracy Westerman, a highly respected expert indigenous psychologist who against all odds created a successful business and charity that is dedicated to serving her community. This book explains how culture intersects with mental health and contains touching client stories which are both heart breaking but full of hope. This book is for any person who felt unheard, unseen and misunderstood - it’s a story of hope, resiliency and black excellence leading the way. Reading this book will inspire you and challenge your thinking and by the end of the book you will be better for it. Highly recommend!
October 15, 2025
Every frontline worker in Australia (or any colonized state) - whether in health, education, justice, or other service provision, needs to read this book.
This book isn't just about ensuring psychological counselling and assessment are accurate, safe, effective and affirming for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. It's also identifying key issues at all levels of systems (research, educational, health, political, carceral) that are barriers to wellbeing amongst mob and in communities and providing answers. The insights into racial trauma in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients Dr Westerman provides are relevant to working with trauma across minorities.
It's a memoir but it's also a handbook.
This book isn't just about ensuring psychological counselling and assessment are accurate, safe, effective and affirming for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. It's also identifying key issues at all levels of systems (research, educational, health, political, carceral) that are barriers to wellbeing amongst mob and in communities and providing answers. The insights into racial trauma in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients Dr Westerman provides are relevant to working with trauma across minorities.
It's a memoir but it's also a handbook.
June 9, 2025
this should be mandatory reading, especially if you work in mental health!
September 3, 2024
This book speaks the goddam truth so eloquently.
It is so well written, I could feel the love and compassion in the chapters about the author’s family.
The author’s courage and resilience combined with that fierce determination to do better for Aboriginal people came through strongly in the book.
Her expert knowledge is so well articulated. I simply love the way in which she tells people who are schooled via traditional systems that they have no knowledge or expertise to offer in this area of work.
Dr Tracy Westerman is a superstar in my eyes. Our children’s children will know of your work in the future and they will be better people for it.
Renee Cass
October 21, 2024
This an important read on how our mental health system is failing Aboriginal people. Dr Tracy is on a mission to educate people and transform the system. This insightful memoir paired with her client case studies of trauma, heartbreak and hope, is eye-opening, gut wrenching and inspiring.
Dr Tracy also has a conversational writing style, that makes such a heavy topic very accessible. Her frank and direct style is refreshingly authentic.
Dr Tracy also has a conversational writing style, that makes such a heavy topic very accessible. Her frank and direct style is refreshingly authentic.
Read
July 9, 2025Fabulous and an important read for all.
July 23, 2025
10/10 - The memoir of Dr Tracy Westerman, the first Aboriginal person in Australia to complete a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Giving a personal history into her parents and their backgrounds, growing up in remote Pilbara, her work child protection services, her education and the drive for change through her PhD, her experiences within some of the most complex and intense remote communities, and her passion for all of it.
I’ve never read anything like this. This memoir (which should be compulsory reading for the Prime Minister / State Premier / anyone who thinks we don’t have an issue with race here in Australia) is a story of one woman’s determination to get better outcomes for her people. She couldn’t see it, she became the change that was needed. Through years of working in these communities she created the assessment processes, the resources, the training, the presentations specific to the Aboriginal communities she was serving. Then, after realising she wasn’t able to make the impact by herself, she created Jilya, a charitable foundation and scholarship program to mentor indigenous people from these high-risk communities to become psychologists under her mentorship.
Including case studies of people she has worked with over the years, stories of utter heartbreak that will not be easily forgotten. Stories and experiences that help this white girl minutely understand the impacts of generational trauma and the power of Aboriginal people being on Country, and the impacts these have on individuals and communities.
Then add government bureaucracy, politics, photo opportunities over making meaningful and impactful changes and you have a hotbed of tenacity, frustration, grit, resilience, heartbreak, rage, hope and an overwhelming respect for this incredible woman.
It’s no wonder she was the WA’s Person of the Year in 2018, what a phenomenal story.
Some of my favourite quotes:
“True change doesn’t happen with denial. But getting at truth requires personal insight. It’s relative to your ability to react emotionally to the pain of others. We have a racial empathy gap in Australia, where the pain of Aboriginal people is not being felt. It’s not being validated. It’s being celebrated. The psychologist in me is not at all interested in just talking for talking’s sake. Putting people in scenarios that make their racism conscious to them, and doing so in a way that ensures behavioural change, is hard. That’s a challenge I have taken head-on because while I can work with Aboriginal clients about how they manage racism – in themselves and in their children – it is never the case that victims of racism are ‘more responsible’ than the perpetrators of it.”
“The politics of respectability is a phenomenon whereby privileged members of marginalised groups comply with dominant social norms to advance their group’s condition. It is pro-assimilation.
We saw it in dramatic action during the Voice referendum in 2023, in which Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Warren Mundine represented this view of cultural blindness. And in the United States, Candace Owens and Condoleezza Rice have used their own success to argue that racism doesn’t exist or that it creates no real barriers for other black people. This then means that disadvantage isn’t real; rather, it’s all the fault of black people ourselves for not taking advantage of the opportunities afforded to us ‘equally’. It’s a dangerous rhetoric. The most dangerous form of racism has always been cultural blindness.”
“There is a critical discussion around the difference between racism and prejudice – that being, can black people be ‘racist’ towards white people, given that there is a lower power base at play? Black people can be prejudiced, yes, but not racist.
This speaks to racial trauma. Racism results in cultural destruction; prejudice, on the other hand, can cause damage or hurt feelings, but cultural identity is not the reason for it and it has less of the trauma variables implicated in its impacts than does racial trauma.”
“Violence is a human issue, not a black person issue.”
“Imagine what the world would look like if more people felt grateful for their privilege rather than entitled to it.”
“The actions we take as leaders should never be about gaining more power for ourselves, but ensuring more power is gained for others. This responsibility for those of us with relative privilege means we need to not only bravely recognise it and defer to others who know more, but also be compelled to act and amplify the pain of others who cannot.
For white allies, this means understanding that being an observer of racism does not make you an equal-status victim of it. White fragility should never trump black pain.”
I’ve never read anything like this. This memoir (which should be compulsory reading for the Prime Minister / State Premier / anyone who thinks we don’t have an issue with race here in Australia) is a story of one woman’s determination to get better outcomes for her people. She couldn’t see it, she became the change that was needed. Through years of working in these communities she created the assessment processes, the resources, the training, the presentations specific to the Aboriginal communities she was serving. Then, after realising she wasn’t able to make the impact by herself, she created Jilya, a charitable foundation and scholarship program to mentor indigenous people from these high-risk communities to become psychologists under her mentorship.
Including case studies of people she has worked with over the years, stories of utter heartbreak that will not be easily forgotten. Stories and experiences that help this white girl minutely understand the impacts of generational trauma and the power of Aboriginal people being on Country, and the impacts these have on individuals and communities.
Then add government bureaucracy, politics, photo opportunities over making meaningful and impactful changes and you have a hotbed of tenacity, frustration, grit, resilience, heartbreak, rage, hope and an overwhelming respect for this incredible woman.
It’s no wonder she was the WA’s Person of the Year in 2018, what a phenomenal story.
Some of my favourite quotes:
“True change doesn’t happen with denial. But getting at truth requires personal insight. It’s relative to your ability to react emotionally to the pain of others. We have a racial empathy gap in Australia, where the pain of Aboriginal people is not being felt. It’s not being validated. It’s being celebrated. The psychologist in me is not at all interested in just talking for talking’s sake. Putting people in scenarios that make their racism conscious to them, and doing so in a way that ensures behavioural change, is hard. That’s a challenge I have taken head-on because while I can work with Aboriginal clients about how they manage racism – in themselves and in their children – it is never the case that victims of racism are ‘more responsible’ than the perpetrators of it.”
“The politics of respectability is a phenomenon whereby privileged members of marginalised groups comply with dominant social norms to advance their group’s condition. It is pro-assimilation.
We saw it in dramatic action during the Voice referendum in 2023, in which Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Warren Mundine represented this view of cultural blindness. And in the United States, Candace Owens and Condoleezza Rice have used their own success to argue that racism doesn’t exist or that it creates no real barriers for other black people. This then means that disadvantage isn’t real; rather, it’s all the fault of black people ourselves for not taking advantage of the opportunities afforded to us ‘equally’. It’s a dangerous rhetoric. The most dangerous form of racism has always been cultural blindness.”
“There is a critical discussion around the difference between racism and prejudice – that being, can black people be ‘racist’ towards white people, given that there is a lower power base at play? Black people can be prejudiced, yes, but not racist.
This speaks to racial trauma. Racism results in cultural destruction; prejudice, on the other hand, can cause damage or hurt feelings, but cultural identity is not the reason for it and it has less of the trauma variables implicated in its impacts than does racial trauma.”
“Violence is a human issue, not a black person issue.”
“Imagine what the world would look like if more people felt grateful for their privilege rather than entitled to it.”
“The actions we take as leaders should never be about gaining more power for ourselves, but ensuring more power is gained for others. This responsibility for those of us with relative privilege means we need to not only bravely recognise it and defer to others who know more, but also be compelled to act and amplify the pain of others who cannot.
For white allies, this means understanding that being an observer of racism does not make you an equal-status victim of it. White fragility should never trump black pain.”
July 12, 2025
Absolutely locked in and ripped through this on the handful of flights I've had this past month. Dr Tracy does not fuck around -- and nor should you, when your work directly addresses the horrific reality of Aboriginal suicides and racial trauma. Reading as a mental health social worker: Her explanations of psychological concepts like trauma, the fight v flight stress response, etc. were super accessible and has helped me consolidate my psychoeducation toolkit for my own practice. Her research on racial trauma, culture stress and the development of clinically validated screening tools needs way more attention from policymakers / curriculum designers / the government / the goddamn public in general. Seeing her reference Kal (the regional/remote town I currently live in) was cool too -- definitely not in the greatest light (IIRC she calls it the single most racist town she's ever visited) but it was a good reminder that there's a lot of work to be done here that I can hopefully contribute to, starting with advocating for my workplace to invest in training and use of the WASC-Y screening tool.
This book is written for a general audience, so people who don't work in mental health / healthcare / the social sector will definitely find her writing incisive and inspiring. She shares personal stories incl. the racism her family (especially her mother) faced, the profound grief after the death of her beloved dad, and how long-distance running has kept her grounded and energised to do incredibly demanding work.
Yet another dimension to the book that was especially impactful for me was her insights into building a business from the ground up. She started Indigenous Psychological Services at 26-years-old (or something) and it has not had a cent of government funding. Totally private! Means that she has complete control over how the business is run and what its vision is. As someone in the process of starting a private practice, it's challenged me to think about how I can use the platform to meet community needs on a broader scale beyond just one-on-one practice (family therapy? group work? training workshops? idk!!) and forewarned me of the logistical / practical / financial (lol) challenges that lie ahead.
Anyway, this book neeeeeds be included in social work and psychology programs across the country, her research and screening tools neeeed to be in wider use, and the government needs to launch fewer 'official inquests' and actually take proper action!!!
This book is written for a general audience, so people who don't work in mental health / healthcare / the social sector will definitely find her writing incisive and inspiring. She shares personal stories incl. the racism her family (especially her mother) faced, the profound grief after the death of her beloved dad, and how long-distance running has kept her grounded and energised to do incredibly demanding work.
Yet another dimension to the book that was especially impactful for me was her insights into building a business from the ground up. She started Indigenous Psychological Services at 26-years-old (or something) and it has not had a cent of government funding. Totally private! Means that she has complete control over how the business is run and what its vision is. As someone in the process of starting a private practice, it's challenged me to think about how I can use the platform to meet community needs on a broader scale beyond just one-on-one practice (family therapy? group work? training workshops? idk!!) and forewarned me of the logistical / practical / financial (lol) challenges that lie ahead.
Anyway, this book neeeeeds be included in social work and psychology programs across the country, her research and screening tools neeeed to be in wider use, and the government needs to launch fewer 'official inquests' and actually take proper action!!!
June 10, 2025
I am in awe of Tracy Westerman's energy, extraordinary courage, dedication, pride and love.
As a psychology graduate who also worked in child protection for four years, I firmly believe that this book should be included as required reading for:
- all psychology, social work, medical and nursing students;
- all child protection workers;
- all police officers;
- all politicians;
I could go on.
Thank you for telling your story and never stopping the representation that you knew was required for some of Australia's most overlooked people.
As a psychology graduate who also worked in child protection for four years, I firmly believe that this book should be included as required reading for:
- all psychology, social work, medical and nursing students;
- all child protection workers;
- all police officers;
- all politicians;
I could go on.
Thank you for telling your story and never stopping the representation that you knew was required for some of Australia's most overlooked people.
November 8, 2025
This book found me.. I have borrow box and this book had a long wait list, thought it must be good and I needed something audio when driving down to Gerringong. It was worth the wait list.
This book has had a big impact on me on so many levels.
Agree with another reviewer that every Australian needs to read this book.
This book has had a big impact on me on so many levels.
Agree with another reviewer that every Australian needs to read this book.
October 13, 2025
Essential reading for all Australians
dnf
February 15, 2025Moving to DNF. Some parts were really interesting, but it was just a bit too dry and the chapters were too long for me to be able to remain engaged.
August 1, 2025
Four stars for the important information shared.
The book was very heavy-going so I switched to the audiobook, but unfortunately the author does not have the voice for audiobooks 🙃 - it was flat and her intonation and rhythm were very off. Also, for someone who declared themselves to be without an ego, there was a lot of talk about how she was wonderful and everybody told her all the time. For myself, this took away from the incredibly important message and information in the book.
There is no denying that Dr Westman is beyond a pioneer, and her work is too undervalued. I am keen to learn more.
The book was very heavy-going so I switched to the audiobook, but unfortunately the author does not have the voice for audiobooks 🙃 - it was flat and her intonation and rhythm were very off. Also, for someone who declared themselves to be without an ego, there was a lot of talk about how she was wonderful and everybody told her all the time. For myself, this took away from the incredibly important message and information in the book.
There is no denying that Dr Westman is beyond a pioneer, and her work is too undervalued. I am keen to learn more.
October 8, 2025
Brilliant book providing deep insights into the deep cultural nuances to supporting Aboriginal people and communities. A reminder of how much Australia as a country fails in providing services to the original inhabitants of country.
September 18, 2025
Educational, enlightening, moving and inspiring. This book has changed me. 💕
June 26, 2025
I want everyone I know to read this book.
September 16, 2024
The first inhabitants of the Pilbara have survived and thrived for over 40,000 years, but only one of them, Dr Tracy Westerman, became the first to complete a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. And that was just the start of her professional achievements.
Jilya is two entwined stories - Tracy’s personal journey and her crusade to develop effective solutions to indigenous mental health. Her journey is remarkable enough, but the way she has dedicated her many skills to changing countless lives, is her enduring legacy.
This book is worth reading, but it is a hard read. Hard because mental health and racist attitudes are disturbing issues. Hard because her clinical understanding is sophisticated and many of the concepts are complex. Finally, it is hard to hear of her many frustrations about peer and government support. But Tracy tells us that she doesn’t “do failure” and her success in learning how to solve issues, deliver educational programs and secure non-government funding has already begun to pay dividends. Let us hope that in the near future, this will be mainstream.
See the full review at: https://www.queenslandreviewerscollec...
Jilya is two entwined stories - Tracy’s personal journey and her crusade to develop effective solutions to indigenous mental health. Her journey is remarkable enough, but the way she has dedicated her many skills to changing countless lives, is her enduring legacy.
This book is worth reading, but it is a hard read. Hard because mental health and racist attitudes are disturbing issues. Hard because her clinical understanding is sophisticated and many of the concepts are complex. Finally, it is hard to hear of her many frustrations about peer and government support. But Tracy tells us that she doesn’t “do failure” and her success in learning how to solve issues, deliver educational programs and secure non-government funding has already begun to pay dividends. Let us hope that in the near future, this will be mainstream.
See the full review at: https://www.queenslandreviewerscollec...
November 5, 2024
I’ve been catching up on my reading pile and feel the need to race this book back to the library ASAP so others in the reserve queue can get their hands on it fast – it’s such an important and inspirational book.
‘Jilya: How one indigenous woman from the remote Pilbara transformed psychology’ is written by Dr Tracy Westerman and published by University of Queensland Press (UQP).
There is so much love in this book, so much wisdom, so much urgency. It's a tonic to ignorance and indifference.
The blurb on the back of the book partly reads:
‘In this ground-breaking memoir, Tracy draws on client stories of trauma, heartbreak, hope and connection from her years of practice, offering a no-holds-barred reflection on how monocultural, one-size-fits-all approach to psychology is failing Aboriginal people and how she’s healing those wounds...above all it is a story of one woman’s love for her people.’
Sections including ‘Longing for Country as grief’, ‘Treating trauma: The man who couldn’t love’ and ‘The punishment should fit the crime, but what is the crime?’, brought tears to my eyes, and also hope.
Books like this can make positive change. Thank goodness for that.
‘Jilya: How one indigenous woman from the remote Pilbara transformed psychology’ is written by Dr Tracy Westerman and published by University of Queensland Press (UQP).
There is so much love in this book, so much wisdom, so much urgency. It's a tonic to ignorance and indifference.
The blurb on the back of the book partly reads:
‘In this ground-breaking memoir, Tracy draws on client stories of trauma, heartbreak, hope and connection from her years of practice, offering a no-holds-barred reflection on how monocultural, one-size-fits-all approach to psychology is failing Aboriginal people and how she’s healing those wounds...above all it is a story of one woman’s love for her people.’
Sections including ‘Longing for Country as grief’, ‘Treating trauma: The man who couldn’t love’ and ‘The punishment should fit the crime, but what is the crime?’, brought tears to my eyes, and also hope.
Books like this can make positive change. Thank goodness for that.
November 8, 2024
Part memoir part educational non-fiction, Dr Tracy Westerman is a Nyamal woman, the first ever Aboriginal clinical psychologist and the founder and director of Jilya which is a program supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples training as psychologists. I read this on Kaurna Country. This book is incredible and should be a must read for all so called Australians. Westerman doesn’t just share how she became the first ever Aboriginal clinical psychologist or how she has been developing Aboriginal culturally safe specific mental health assessments (that the government STILL does not make us use and by us I mean mental health professionals such as myself) but the impact true culturally appropriate support has and how through her skills and the skills of Aboriginal communities together are single handedly changing the rates of youth suicide in rural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. If you need a new hero - look no further. If you want to see what grassroots work does - look no further.
September 4, 2024
Dr Westerman's memoir has so many nuances to unpack. One is that representation matters, to all the mob out there that thought they couldn't achieve their dreams she is living proof that it is possible.
Her clinical stories clearly show techniques and guidelines on how best to treat Indigenous Australians in a culturally appropriate way.
Dr Westerman pushed the boundaries of psychology whilst still a student by creating the first culturally and scientifically validated psychometric test for Aboriginal people.
This groundbreaking book should be a textbook in every discipline to educate and inspire.
As so eloquently put by Stan Grant "read this and be better".
Her clinical stories clearly show techniques and guidelines on how best to treat Indigenous Australians in a culturally appropriate way.
Dr Westerman pushed the boundaries of psychology whilst still a student by creating the first culturally and scientifically validated psychometric test for Aboriginal people.
This groundbreaking book should be a textbook in every discipline to educate and inspire.
As so eloquently put by Stan Grant "read this and be better".
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