Adjustment and Coping in Aboriginal People

Abstract

Many therapists who have worked with Aboriginal clients remark on how resilient Aboriginal people seem to be. Despite having experienced incredible levels of trauma, losses etc., most Aboriginal people are still able to function well and are able to lead reasonably healthy lives. Some of them even flourish in spite of their difficult personal and collective histories. These observations raise interesting questions for both therapists and researchers: What are coping strategies, models, and practices employed by the Aboriginal people to account for their resiliency? This chapter will provide a brief history of discrimination and abuse of Aboriginal people in Canada as the necessary backdrop for their resilience. We report empirical findings on practices, which contribute to healing and assist Aboriginal peoples in leading healthy lives. We then discuss how such lessons are related to the larger literature of effective coping and resilience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)