Aboriginal Counselling Skills (CNSK 1413)

Examine the historical/traditional perspectives and contemporary issues (ie. alcohol-related birth defects, high suicide rates) of the Aboriginal community with a focus on health and healing. Students explore the role played by cultural expression, including values and identity, in providing a basis for healing in an Aboriginal treatment setting. Analyze the impact of colonization (ie. disruption of established family systems by residential schools). The focus is on the Canadian Aboriginal experience, but comparisons will be drawn to other Indigenous populations.