Overview

Class Identity, Social Hierarchy, and Psychotherapy explores the often-ignored influence of class identity on psychological care. Written by two psychologists with working-class roots, this book explores the development of American psychology both within and in support of a capitalist social structure. Through surveys, interviews, and personal experiences, it is revealed how the middle-class norms and neoliberal values in which the practice of psychotherapy is rooted often alienate many of the working-class people it seeks to help. Through the voices of both working- and middle-class clients and clinicians, authors demonstrate how hidden rules about emotional expression, vulnerability, and competence often shape therapy spaces. They explore how those living between socioeconomic worlds experience both marginalization and pressure to conform within clinical spaces not built for them. A model of critical narrative humility is introduced, which encourages therapists to interrogate their own class position, training, and biases, and re-consider how these factors might impact their ability to authentically hear the complex and nuanced accounts of their clients. Urging a shift from individual practice to systems-level thinking, the book offers a radical reimagining of therapeutic practice grounded in critical self-reflection. This book will appeal to advanced students, trainees, and early-career professionals and practitioners interested in decolonizing practice and moving to consider class as an integral aspect of intersectional identity.

Full Product Details

Author:   Lynne-Marie Shea (Clinical Psychologist at McLean Hospital, USA) ,  Debra A. Harkins (Prof. Emeritus of Psychology and Education, Suffolk University, Boston, MA.)
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Weight:   0.370kg
ISBN:  

9781032794204

ISBN 10:   1032794208
Pages:   102
Publication Date:   16 December 2025
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
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Table of Contents

Part 1: Foundations of a Class-blind discipline Chapter 1: Mapping Mental Health within the Logic of Market Values Chapter 2: Advancing Psychology through Scientific Authority Chapter 3: Framing Identity by the Productivity of the Market Part 2: Class identity, distress and help-seeking Chapter 4: Turning Collective Postwar Wounds to Individual Symptoms Chapter 5: Standardizing Care in Service of the Market Chapter 6: Performing Competence While Preserving the Hierarchy Chapter 7: Sustaining Individualism in the Face of Collective Need Chapter 8: Dividing the Dispossessed in Defense of the Social Order Part 3: Towards a more just practice Chapter 9: Getting Proximate as a Prerequisite for Ethical Practice Chapter 10: Reimagining Psychological Practice through Critical Narrative Humility

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Author Information

Lynne-Marie Shea is a Clinical Psychologist at McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA. Debra A. Harkins is a Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Education at Suffolk University, Boston, MA, USA.

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