Working Class Backgrounds in Clinical Psychology: Experiences of Trainee Clinical Psychologists

Background: The experiences of trainee clinical psychologists from working class back-grounds is under documented in research. Undergoing doctoral level training represents a significant and complex journey. Despite the limited literature, social mobility, through education and entering “high-classed” professions, has a significant impact on working-class students.

Aim: To explore the experiences of working-class trainee clinical psychologists entering the profession, training on the course and the relationships to their class identity.

Method: Using a qualitative method, two focus groups were conducted and analysed using a reflective thematic analysis. Thirteen participants from 9 UK courses, who self-identified as being working-class were recruited.

Results: Four themes were identified. Theme 1) Is there space? describes how working-class trainees navigated entering the profession, and then how class is not spoken of on the training. Theme 2) Fitting in, described how WC trainees experienced pressures to adapt that conflict with their class identity. Theme 3) The working-class connection, displayed the class-based strengths such as; an ease in building therapeutic relationships, understanding the socio-political contexts of mental health, and a commitment to supporting communities. Theme 4) What class am I now? describes the trainees experiences of their class-identity whilst training as a clinical psychologist. Whilst perspectives varied on whether being a clinical psychologist detaches you from being working-class, trainees described that their working-class values systems remain engrained from their upbringings.

Conclusion: The study highlights the challenges that working-class identities may face in clinical psychology, but also the strengths that this identity can bring. Recommendations include incorporating class into training, reviewing the barriers to entry and continuing research on this topic.