Clinical psychologists and class: a systematic review of how psychological professionals work with class and an interpretive phenomenological analysis of what it’s like to be a clinical psychologist from a working class background

Slater, Chloe (2024). Clinical psychologists and class: a systematic review of how psychological professionals work with class and an interpretive phenomenological analysis of what it’s like to be a clinical psychologist from a working class background. University of Birmingham. Clin.Psy.D.

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Abstract

This thesis is submitted by Chloe Slater in partial fulfilment of the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Birmingham. This thesis contains four chapters. Chapter 1 is a systematic review of the qualitative literature concerning how psychological professionals hold in mind and work with class in therapeutic work. The review compares and contrasts 9 papers from the UK, USA and Honduras and finds mixed practice across the papers. Chapter 2 is an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) of 9 interviews with UK based clinical psychologists from a working class background. The interviews explored what it’s like to be in the role with a working class background, themes considered: feelings of otherness and liminality; facing classism and difficulties talking about class; and recognising their strengths and how these strengths influenced their practice. Both the systematic review and IPA paper have clinical implications for how clinical psychologists work with and think about social class. Chapter 3 contains a press release written for a lay audience explaining the review from chapter 1. Likewise, chapter 4 contains a press release concerning the IPA paper.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Clin.Psy.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Clin.Psy.D.

Supervisor(s):