Interpersonal Counseling

There is no doubt that, interpersonal counseling can be both hard for client and counselor – a delicate balance. A balance that only works with a client that continually comes to counseling. Why is it that there is an attendance difference for Indigenous clients? What is it about the counseling process that has Aboriginal peoples “twice as likely not to return after the first session than Caucasian clients”(Campbell and Nuttgens, 2010.)? It’s important to discuss the implications for Indigenous clients that decline to return, and the implications for Indigenous clients that proceed with the counseling process. In order for this to be examined it’s imperative to discuss the impacts of colonization and historical trauma and how that currently affects Aboriginal

Also important is to examine the fundamental differences between western and Indigenous wellness practices; what works and what doesn’t work for Indigenous communities – how identity and cultural practices are protective factors in wellness and how the actions of counselors being willing to address multicultural differences is imperative for indigenous clients success in counseling; especially in a western

The people did not know what was causing the disease or how to cure it – and even though the settlers knew that quarantine was an effective way to stop the spread they did nothing to help and encouraged contact between infected and non-infected peoples. As well, when government official realized that this was an effective way to rid Aboriginal peoples, they added to the problem by dispersing small pox infected blankets as gifts of friendship for the Aboriginal people. Effectively engaging in biological warfare under the guise of friendship (Smolewski and Wesley-Esquimaux,