A counseling analogue study was designed to evaluate the effects of counselor ethnicity and counselor trustworthiness on American Indian student ratings of perceived counselor "trustworthiness." Forty-four American Indian high school students (22 males and 22 females) from a public high school on a reservation in Nebraska viewed a 2-segment videotape analogue of 2 counseling interviews in which an American Indian student discussed a problem about future educational plans. Four conditions were portrayed by two male interviewers (Indian and non-Indian) and typified trustworthy and untrustworthy interview performance. Subjects then rated the counselors' perceived levels of trustworthiness on the Counselor Effectiveness Rating Scale and the Counselor Rating Form. Results indicated that the role manipulation of trustworthy interview behaviors was successful and that the ethnicity of the counselor may not be important provided that the non-Indian counselor is trained to use culturally appropriate interview communicative and trustworthy behaviors. With this information counseling psychologists with training responsibilities should be better able to provide practice for students in training in identifying and enacting verbal and non-verbal behaviors indicative of counselor trustworthiness with American Indian clients. (Author/NEC)