Indigenous Clients | MulticulturalCounselor

Working with Indigenous Clients

About 7.7 million Indigenous peoples lived in the U.S. in 2025; they reported experiencing psychological distress at a rate that is 2.5 times greater than the general population.

Indigenous peoples reported being exposed to alcohol and illicit substances at a younger age than the general population (APA)
Indigenous peoples reported a lower trust of institutions that provide mental health care, due to discrimination and their history of being oppressed (Gone, 2022)
There is a large disparity in having Indigenous therapists, with only 0.4% of therapists being Indigenous (MHA)
Indigenous peoples report higher rates of trauma/PTSD than the general population (Psychiatry.org)

Additional Resources

Psychiatry.org - Working with Indigenous Patients
NAMI - Becoming a Culturally Competent Provider to Indigenous Communities
Wendt, D. et al. - Best Practices for Working with Indigenous Peoples
Journal of Indigenous Research - Best Practices in Counseling Native Americans
Counseling Nexus - Highlighting Indigenous Populations in Counseling
EMDRIA- EMDR Therapy: Indigenous Voices
Deconstructing Stigma - Understanding Native American Mental Health

Additional Resources

Psychiatry.org - Working with Indigenous Patients

NAMI - Becoming a Culturally Competent Provider to Indigenous Communities

Wendt, D. et al. - Best Practices for Working with Indigenous Peoples

Journal of Indigenous Research - Best Practices in Counseling Native Americans

Counseling Nexus - Highlighting Indigenous Populations in Counseling

EMDRIA- EMDR Therapy: Indigenous Voices

Deconstructing Stigma - Understanding Native American Mental Health