Characteristics of Culture, Class & Language

Compare the generic characteristics of counseling with respect to culture, class, and language, with Native American characteristics in terms of culture, class, and language. Which characteristics most closely reflect your culture, class, and language?
Of the Native American characteristics there are not very many that closely reflect my German culture at all. The Native American people have a holistic view on life, keep to oneself, rely heavily on extended family, not competitive and often very collective, have a present-time orientation and may have immediate short range goals (Heinrich, Corbine, & Thomas, 1990). These characteristic are very different from the characteristics of the White culture. The white culture generally has a analytic view rather than the holistic, they rely on experts rather than extended family, are individualistic, and look to the future, and work for progress and change. (Sue & Sue, 2013).
Refer to Chapter 15 and at least one of the recommended readings, and consider the types of mental health concerns you may be likely to encounter in counseling a Native American client, couple, family, or group (for example, the impact of educational disparities on career development).
When working with the Native Americans culture some of the concerns that can be presented to a counselor can include but not limited to such things as substance abuse, depression, suicide & domestic violence (Sue & Sue, 2013). Brave Hart, Chase, Elkins, & Altschul (2011) indicate that Native Americans rank higher in health disparity and face emotional challenges such as depression, substance abuse, collective trauma exposure, interpersonal losses and unresolved grief.
How would you approach reflect your understanding of your own characteristics and those of your client or clients?
Sue & Sue (2013) remind the readers that the emotional and personal bond is very important in the theraputic relationship and is developed by using such techniques as empathy, positive regard, respect, warmth, genuines and self disclosure. As a counselor the importance of not only establishing a emotional and personal bond important but also understading various characteristics of the Native American people. Some of the characteristics of the Native American people include the understanding the socials structure as highly important which for the Native American indvidual provides a sence of belonging and security (Sue & Sue, 2013). Understanding the spirtual values, historical, sociopoltical background, education and acculturate conflicts are important for the counselor to know and how these are different (Sue & Sue, 2013). For example, understanding what the family structure is or is not will be also critical in the role of the counselor and understanding that this may include extended family such as aunts, uncles, friends, and grandparents which is unlike the white culture who relys on experts rather than extended family members. (Sue & Sue, 2013).
How would the impact of historical and current oppression be important to your work?
Sue & Sue (2013) point out that a counselor must understand that minorities in our world live under an umbrella of indvidual, institual and cutural foruces that oppress them and deny them opportunity. Because of this dynamic it may intrude in the counseling process and cause misdiagnosis, confusion, reinforcement of the biasis and steortypes that both groups have for one another (Sue & Sue, 2013). Sue & Sue (2013) explain the our education and counseling systems have in the past have been restrictive, allowed steortypes, damaged and opressed the minority cultures.
Discuss the implications of the client's characteristics and concerns on your counseling and advocacy strategies in terms of problem assessment, goal setting, and interventions that take into account individual, couple, family, and tribal considerations.
Based on some of the Native American characteristics and concerns some of the implications for counseling include assessing the issues from the worldview of the individual, family, extended family to determine the role of cultural and experiential factors (Sue & Sue, 2013). The counselor will need to find solutions and set goals with the client and consider the Native American healing practices that are practiced in various tribes (Rybak, Lakota Eastin, & Robbins, 2004). Because of the extended family in some of the tribes it will be critical to identify the family members that need to be involved, determine their roles and request their assistance if needed (Sue & Sue, 2013). A counselor may need to address some basic needs such as food, shelter, employment before identifying other psychological issues.
Brave Hart, M. Y., Chase, J., Elkins, J., & Altschul, D. B. (2011). Historical trauma among indigenous peoples of the americas: Concepts, research and clinical considerations. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs , 43 (4), 282-290.
Heinrich, R. K., Corbine, J. L., & Thomas, K. R. (1990). Counseling Native Americans. Journal of Counseling and Development , 69 (2), 128-133.
Rybak, C. J., Lakota Eastin, c., & Robbins, I. (2004). Native american healting practices and counseling. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education and Development , 43 (1), 25-32.
Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (2013). Counseling the Culturally Diverse Theory and Practice (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc.