Discussion Questions (General)

1. Calliyah, your counseling client, invites you to the graduation ceremony for the group she just completed and wants to honor you publicly. What should you do? What may be some of the consequences of your attending or not attending the graduation ceremony?
2. Because you have worked as a counselor with a number of American Indian/Alaska Native clients from two Pacific Northwest tribes, a colleague asks you to consult on a case with a Native client from a tribe in the Southwest. Do you feel qualified to do so? In what ways might there be similarities and differences between the clients from the Pacific Northwest and those from the Southwest?
3. Calliyah’s Aunt Carrie, who is also a respected elder, needs a place to stay for a few months. Carrie’s daughter struggles with substance use and misuse and often turns to her mother for support. As Calliyah’s counselor, how would you support her as she decides what to do? What are some of the possible unique cultural tensions in this situation?
4. Think of clients you have worked with whose backgrounds are different from your own. What are the similarities and differences? Are the steps outlined in this chapter appropriate for all clients? Why or why not?