Sitting with Aboriginal Clients: Case Studies

In this course, three cases are presented in which an Aboriginal client comes to work with a white counsellor: (1) Jiemba, who has survived much interpersonal and other trauma and has almost no bodily awareness; (2) Bess and Waru, who are dealing with a serious car accident that they believe was caused by supernatural forces; and (3) Merindah, who had suicidal ideation after the suicide of her close friend and who needs to visit her ill mother, but cannot see how to do so safely. After presentation of each case, questions for reflection are listed in the second section. Each third section contains possible responses to the questions.