From online courses to community-led programs, physiotherapists now have more opportunities than ever to embed cultural safety into lifelong practice.

Understanding cultural safety is just the first step. Real change happens when learning becomes practical, ongoing, and embedded in our professional lives. For physiotherapists, that means engaging with structured programs, reflective practice, and community-led learning.

Formal Training Pathways

The Australian Physiotherapy Council’s Cultural Safety Training (CST) is one of the most comprehensive options currently available. Co-designed with the University of Melbourne and guided by a First Nations Advisory Group, the five-hour online course covers Indigenous history, cultural contexts, and practical ways to avoid racially insensitive practice. The program is mandatory for internationally qualified physiotherapists entering the registration pathway but is increasingly recommended for all physios as core CPD.

Through its professional development portal, the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) also provides access to key learning opportunities. Members can complete the Cultural Orientation Plan for Health Professionals, developed by the Combined Universities Centre for Rural Health in WA. This program uses reflective activities and quizzes to guide learners through modules on history, cultural values, and communication styles—particularly valuable for those working in regional and remote contexts.

Another widely respected option is the Indigenous Allied Health Australia’s (IAHA) Cultural Responsiveness Training, which takes a hands-on approach to building respectful, culturally responsive practice. Similarly, the Western Australian Centre for Rural Health (WACRH) runs several courses, including Clinical Yarning, which focus on effective communication and culturally safe care in Aboriginal health contexts.

For physiotherapists seeking trusted, ongoing resources, the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet serves as a comprehensive knowledge hub, linking to publications, programs, policy documents, and community initiatives in Indigenous health.

Embedding Cultural Safety in Professional Life

Learning shouldn’t stop with one course. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Cultural Safety Strategy 2020–2025, launched by Ahpra and partner boards, commits to embedding cultural safety into accreditation and CPD requirements across the professions. That means cultural training will increasingly be part of ongoing practice standards, not an optional add-on.

Universities have already moved in this direction. All accredited physiotherapy programs now include cultural safety modules, though the depth and style vary. Evidence suggests the most effective approaches are those that go beyond lectures and incorporate immersive placements, yarning with community, and reflection on personal bias and privilege.

For clinicians already in the workforce, this can be mirrored by seeking out placements in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs), engaging in state health department orientation programs, or participating in local workshops run by Indigenous educators.

Moving Beyond Awareness

Ultimately, the goal of these programs is not just awareness but transformation. Cultural safety means shifting the power dynamic—allowing patients and communities to define what safe, respectful care looks like. Training can provide the tools, but the ongoing responsibility sits with each practitioner.

As one Indigenous health worker put it during a recent workshop: “Cultural safety isn’t about getting it right all the time—it’s about showing that you’re willing to listen, learn, and change.”

In Summary

Physiotherapists have never had more resources at their disposal to develop cultural safety. From structured online courses like the APC’s Cultural Safety Training, to orientation plans, IAHA workshops, WACRH programs, and knowledge hubs like HealthInfoNet, the pathways are there. The challenge—and the opportunity—is to engage with them not as one-off checkboxes, but as part of a lifelong commitment to safe, equitable, and respectful care.