How do counselling psychologists talk about doing therapy with working class clients in an IAPT setting? : a Foucauldian discourse analysis

Background: Class is a topic that is increasingly being explored within Counselling Psychology. Within IAPT settings a proportion of clients seen are from working class backgrounds, some of whom may be living in poverty. Rationale: There is a gap in the research around how counselling psychologists construct doing therapy with working class clients, and class based issues more widely. Method: Semi structured interviews were conducted with five counselling psychologists with experience in, or currently working in, IAPT settings. The interviews were analysed using Foucauldian discourse analysis, which takes into account structural hierarchies beyond the text. Findings: Three main discourses emerged from the data: 'class is seen and heard, but not talked or thought about', 'intrusion of poverty' and 'mind the gap'. These discourses were explored in their historical and political contexts in line with FDA principles. Each discourse has implications for counselling psychologists, their working class clients, and wider society.