A product of the three-year West Indian Project of the Family Service Association in Toronto, this book seeks to share with helping professionals insights into Caribbean cultures and some significant issues that impede or facilitate working with West Indians. The first chapter outlines the historical development of the Caribbean, focusing on the social and psychological effects of slavery that have lingered long after emancipation. The second chapter describes the social and cultural background of the West Indies, stressing the racial diversity and the close links between class and color. The characteristics of the various classes and the role of family structures are also discussed. The third chapter outlines the factors motivating the mass migration from the Caribbean during the late 1960s and early 1970s and discusses the crisis effects of migration. In the fourth chapter effective methods of engaging the West Indian client in counselling are outlined, notably methods of explaining the process to the client and of helping him/her overcome negative self-concepts, fatalism, dependency, and hostility. The role of religion and magic is also discussed. The final section describes the West Indian Project in terms of: (1) project implementation; (2) location; (3) client demographies; (4) presenting problems; (5) associated problems; (6) children; (7) category of service at termination; and (8) professional implications. (RDN)