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Here is what I think about this discourse about mental health disorders and astrology and astrology not being able to replace therapy as someone un an African-centered psychology program working toward licensure concerned about limitations of western psych (a thread):
Western psychology is symptom based and deficit based (“What’s wrong with you?”) Indigenous psychologies are root-cause based and holistic. Astro aligns well with the latter. It provides more direct personal in with in-depth information instead of looking at things from one place
The DSM (what licensed mental health professionals use to us diagnose clients) is very limited and not culturally compotent. BIPOC get misdiagnosed way more often that White folks because western “traditional” psychology was created by White folks, mainly White men.
Psychologists universalizing Eurocentric cultural norms/using them as the basis of the field and to frame what is considered a disorder leads to not only misdiagnosis but erasure of other cultural norms that lead to being misunderstood and sometimes even disrespected in therapy.
Extensive tests that often take multiple appointments to complete can be overwhelming not only because of length but due to questions being triggering or because the questions are not relevant to a persons. This is done to assess problems can and needs the person has.
With astro and other divination systems time spent questioning the client is reduced greatly because the chart shows what is relevant. Also sometimes people lie during in intake tests. Your astro chart and other divinations will reflect truths more easily.
Indigenous psychologies do not label you with disorders. They use holistic tools to bring a person into a healthy balance that is optimal for them because what is order to one person can be disorder for someone else depending on that’s persons energy.
Astrology and other divination tools can show what can bring this order and where needs are. 6th house sign/ruler/planets can show how improvements can be made. Mercury/3rd house shows cognitive framing. Cards or throwing bones can show certain activities that need to be done etc
In psychological crisis, Indigenous psychologies also look at the environment of the person, community and current events happening, and external systems that may be a source of imbalance/disease + whether or not the persons life purpose and gifts are being honored
The passage indicates the indigenous understanding of communal care responsibilities not just self care. Western psych often devalues the role of community and environmental systems being a source of perceived dysfunction a person is going through and how it inhibits purpose.
This reminds me of the Leo-Aqua axis, we need communal networks and systems to support and nurture our purpose and shine. Interesting in light of the coming Leo full moon 
Indigenous psychologies value purpose as spiritual and a major source of well being and health. And what can show us life purpose? Sun, the nodes, AC, MC etc. Thats why discourse about purpose being mechanical and based on productivity is purely a western capitalist take.
We see elements of purpose/destiny in these placements sun, AC, MC etc but especially in the nodes. For the Yoruba destiny/purpose is Ori. For the Ewe Vodoun traditions of my ancestors, it’s Se. For the Japanese it’s Ikiagi. Knowing this is essential for psychological well being
So from an indigenous African perspective it wouldn’t be about this person has gemini placements so they are bipolar, it’s what is root cause(s) blocking this persons access to healthily living out their purpose of exploring contradictions, curiosity + merging different poles?
And circling back to western psych assessment models, I think dumping over 100+ often triggering questions to someone turns people off from therapy. You walk into the room and are expected to just put out everything. No grounding tools no centering.
That’s one of the reasons my team and I made https://linktr.ee/indigenius_mentalhealth one of our goals is to connect sound healers, breathworkers, movement workers with mental health folks so they can help clients feel more stable before sessions. Check free resources/tips here.
To conclude, as someone in school to be a therapist, I think astrology can be a type of therapy done by counseling astrologers, because from an indigenous perspective, it can help prove more culturally competent, personal + holistic care not steeped in Eurocentric norms of health
I also want to add that though in school to be a therapist I don’t care much for western psych. I know it’s beneficial for some ppl and that’s fine, but I’m only here as a means to an end to be a bridge toward spirit based healing modalities indigenous psychologies already get.
I think it’s also important for me to say with this thread is that just because an astrology doesn’t do counseling psych doesn’t mean astrological therapy can’t be done. We all have different specialties. I don’t do predictive or electional astro, doesn’t mean it can’t be done!
