ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors highlight the tenets of a healing methodology and how this methodology was applied as a decolonizing framework to inform a cross-cultural research project. This research project began with an understanding that only through collaboration can the authors as researchers turn the gaze onto themselves to produce research that is relevant, respectful, and intended to serve emancipatory purposes for communities through revelations of communities' symbolic culture and knowledge. Through personal narratives, the authors explain how they began collaboration and examine why collaborative cross-cultural research is central to their professional lives. They argue that collaboration should not be seen as optional in cross-cultural research; it is the essential foundation for critical and ethical cross-cultural research. A qualitative approach would bridge and strengthen relationships for authentic cross-cultural collaboration. The initial emphasis on authenticity and transparency is essential for the vulnerability of the research team that is required when implementing a healing and decolonizing methodology.
