A Journey Through Alienation and Privilege to Healing

Abstract

When a White man first enters onto an Indian reservation he may feel like he doesn’t belong. Many of our students also don’t feel like they belong when they come to our college campuses. While it is clearly not the same, the feeling of being different can certainly raise awareness and sensitivity. This article will examine how as a reflection of a ”culture of fear” (given the state of the recessionary economy, poor job market, global warming, terrorism, wars and other social conditions,), subtle and often unintentional privilege and discrimination can affect our students, and how we as college counselors can be most supportive in empowering our students to heal and grow in the midst of these challenging opportunities. A theoretical framework and practical strategies are provided to assist clinicians in addressing these issues.