Mending the Broken Circle: Treatment of Substance Dependence Among Native Americans

Issues surrounding substance dependence of Native Americans are examined through the cultural concept of the Broken Circle. Traditional cultural views of wellness and healing are described using the traditions of Indian Medicine, the value of the Circle, and what it means to live in harmony and balance. Underlying factors in substance dependence of Native Americans are presented along with practical counseling recommendations and implications for treatment through both contemporary and traditional Native healing methods.     

“Ayeli”: Centering Technique Based on Cherokee Spiritual Traditions

A centering technique called “Ayeli,” based on Cherokee spiritual traditions, is presented as a way of incorporating spirituality into counseling by helping clients identify where they are in their journey, where they want to be, and how they can get there. Relevant Native cultural traditions and meanings are explored, including the importance of honoring personal truths (values), significance of numbers, looking to the Four Winds, symbolism of circles within circles, Medicine, connect/disconnect, and seeking vision. In addition, practical considerations and implications are discussed. The center of the universe is everywhere. —Black Elk, Oglala Lakota Medicine Man (as cited in M. T. Garrett, 1998, p. 185)     

Understanding Native American healing practices

Counselor cultural competency with respect to Native Americans requires understanding of common healing practices and ceremonies and of their spiritual significance. Historical trauma serves as a general backdrop for Native America experience and identity. Particular tribal practices and the individual's degree of affiliation with such practices provide a more specific context for client worldview. Knowledge of the symbolic significance of common ceremonies and healing practices will support counseling efforts to be relevant and effective with respect to Native American clients. Direct interaction and involvement with Native American communities facilitate a deeper understanding of Native American cultural identity and healing practices.     

Counseling Native Americans: An introduction for Non-Native American Counselors

This article provides a primer on counseling Native American clients for non-Native American counselors and psychotherapists. The diversity of this population is described and a general model of healing from a traditional Native American perspective is presented, with implications for counseling practice. Relevant research is reviewed and practical suggestions are offered for providing counseling services to Native Americans.     

Native american alcoholism: A transcultural counseling perspective

Alcohol-related mental and physical health problems are critical problems among Native Americans. The intensity of these problems increased proportionately to the destruction of traditional/aboriginal ways. Despite centuries of attempts at physical and cultural genocide a semblance of traditionalism survived to the presence among many tribal groups. Nonetheless the vast majority of contemporary Native Americans are ‘marginal’—caught between their traditional culture and the demands of the dominant United States society. Treating Native Americans merely from the conventional clinical perspective spells of ethnocentrism while a pure traditional approach often serves to restrict both off-reservation mobility and inter-tribal interactions. Here the transcultural approach offers a needed bridge for effective Native American alcohol and mental health counseling.     

Counseling Native Americans

This article addresses the issues facing White counselors in providing services to Native Americans, whose values differ significantly from the dominant culture's. Native Americans have been consistently threatened with cultural assimilation. Previously published recommendations to counselors are reviewed and the relevance and possible uses of traditional Native American healing practices are discussed. One such practice, the vision quest, is described in detail. Counselors need to learn culturally relevant metaphors in order to promote healing and change and, in effect, must themselves undergo an acculturation process.     

7 Suicide: The Scourge of Native American People

Reportedly, Native Americans have a rate of suicide that is greater than any other ethnic group in the United States, especially in the age range of 15–24. Many who are concerned as to why this is the case offer a variety of theories. Most of the theories have yet to be tested. This particular presentation focuses on the traditional tribal structure of most Native Americans and events of history that have impacted the cultures of Native American Tribes. The particular events covered refer to Western education, various religions, and legislation as playing a most significant role in impacting the cultures of Native Americans. With the hope that we can all work together to diminish the scourge of Native American people, I repeat the words of Chief Seattle, “… be just and deal kindly with my people.”     

Finding the “Meaning” of Native American Substance Abuse: Implications for Community Prevention

The author examines chemical use by Native Americans with a proposal for a holistic prevention program involving enhancement of cultural interdependence.     

The Path of Good Medicine: Understanding and Counseling Native American Indians

This article presents a brief overview of Native American cultural values, beliefs, and practices concerning the tribe, elders, family, and spirituality. Native American Indian communication style, humor, and cultural commitment are briefly discussed and recommendations are given for counseling with Native American Indians.     

North America's Native Peoples: A Social Justice and Trauma Counseling Approach

This article understands North America's indigenous peoples in the context of social justice. The authors discuss the role of legislation in shaping cultural contexts of indigenous people and influencing mental health issues in Native American communities. Trauma counseling with Native Americans is explored. Este artículo entiende a los habitantes indígenas de norteamérica en el contexto de la justicia social. Los autores discuten el papel que juega la legislación en la formación de los contextos culturales de los pueblos indígenas y la influencia que ejerce en los problemas de salud mental en las comunidades de Americanos Nativos. Se explora la terapia de trauma con Americanos Nativos.     

Red as an Apple: Native American Acculturation and Counseling With or Without Reservation

The United States has a long history of advocating policies of both extermination and assimilation of Native peoples. This historical context provides an important backdrop for understanding issues of trust/mistrust and the impact of acculturation on Native Americans who often find they have to reconcile 2 cultures. Therefore, counselors must assess a Native American client's level of acculturation rather than making assumptions based on the limited information offered by appearance or other personal characteristics. The Native American Acculturation Scale is presented as an operationalized means of formally or informally assessing a Native American client's cultural identity.     

Crying for a Vision: The Native American Sweat Lodge Ceremony as Therapeutic Intervention

The Native American sweat lodge ceremony or sweat therapy is being used increasingly in various medical, mental health, correctional, and substance abuse treatment centers serving both Native and non‐Native clients. This article explores the sweat lodge ceremony's background, elements of Native American spirituality, origin story, cultural symbolism, prayer, and contemporary use. Current evidence of effectiveness and therapeutic benefits is presented, then implications for integrating the sweat lodge ceremony as a complementary counseling approach are discussed.     

American social scientists and the domestication of “class” 1929–1955

This essay examines social scientists' newfound interest in the American class system and their changing conceptions of “class” in the years from 1929 until 1955. Specifically, it compares Robert and Helen Lynd's views with those of W. Lloyd Warner. Emphasis shifted in class analysis from occupation and income to social acceptance and cultural lifestyle, and moral outrage over the inequities enshrined in the American class system gave way to a functionalist explanation that class differences were the inevitable by-products of a complex division of labor. Once the class system was held to integrate rather than to divide Americans, classes came to be seen as rungs on a ladder on which Americans were constantly moving up and down. Divisive connotations were thus played down in this peculiarly American conception of class, and the discovery of class differences was squared with the venerable belief in American classlessness.     

Community‐Based Participatory Research With Black Churches

Black Americans are more likely than other racial/ethnic groups to rely on spiritual and religious resources for mental health support. As such, counselors must seek unique ways to reach and understand Black communities. This article provides an overview of Black Americans' help‐seeking behaviors, the significance and culture of the Black Church, and a framework for counselors and counseling researchers to form effective partnerships to conduct community‐based participatory research initiatives that will produce empirical outcomes and promote culturally responsive mental health and wellness programming in Black communities.     

A Family Strengths Model of Adjustment to Disability for African American Clients

Sociocultural factors germane to African American families need to be recognized and incorporated into the counseling process of African Americans with disabilities. It is imperative that counseling professionals develop a thorough understanding of the family, community, and cultural ecologies of African Americans who are disabled. This article includes an analysis of the African American family system and its inherent strengths. A family strengths model of adjustment to disability for African American clients is presented, and potential applications of the model to the adjustment process are provided.     

The Impact of Wellness‐Focused Supervision on Mental Health Counseling Practicum Students

Professional counseling organizations tout the importance of wellness for counselors and counselors‐in‐training. The authors used a wellness‐focused supervision model with mental health practicum students to assess the model's degree of treatment effect at improving students' wellness over the course of the semester. Participants' demographics included three women, one man, three European Americans, and one Latino/a. Single‐case design results revealed that ongoing wellness‐focused interventions are helpful in improving participants' level of wellness; implications for practice are provided.     

Promoting Multicultural Competence: A Cross‐Cultural Mentorship Project

This article describes a project designed to increase the multicultural competency of Euro‐American graduate counseling students and to serve the interests of Native American students as defined by Native American educators in an urban school district.     

PART II. Cultural Perspectives 6 Suicide in America: A Nation of Immigrants

The patterns of suicide of immigrants are briefly explored, followed by a more detailed study of the suicidal behavior of Chinese in different nations of the world (including America), African American slaves in the 1600s and 1700s, and Native Americans. Some of the implications of the issues addressed are explored for their relevance in counseling clients from different cultures.     

Does the Worm Live in the Ground? Reflections on Native American Spirituality

Native American spirituality is described through the 4 basic cultural elements of Medicine, Harmony, Relation, and Vision. Based on these 4 cultural elements, practical implications for counseling are offered concerning greeting, hospitality, silence, space, eye contact, intention, and collaboration.