Routledge Social Class and the Helping Professions: A Clinician's Guide to Navigating the Landscape of Class in America

This book provides a comprehensive examination of the intersection of social class and the helping professions, including examinations of the role of social class in American culture, classism, social class and mental health, and the American Dream. It will be a valuable tool for practitioners in a variety of mental health professions, providing a clearer understanding of social class as it relates to themselves and their clients. The first section contains an introduction to the global, historical, and sociological aspects of class and an in-depth look at urban and rural poverty, the middle class, and the upper class and economic privilege. The reader will find not only an examination of these social constructs, but also an opportunity to examine their own experience with social class. The next section brings the reader into the world of their clients in more specific ways, examining the role social class plays in mental health and mental health counseling, in the family structure and in counseling families, and in the experiences people have throughout the educational process and in schools. Finally, the last section of the book discusses specific techniques and models to use in the reader’s clinical practice, including how to assess clients’ experiences of class and classism and how these experiences have shaped their worldview and view of the self. Case studies throughout demonstrate fair and accurate diagnosis, assessment, and treatment. Review "Filled with case studies and self-reflection opportunities, this book is one of the first to provide readers with a comprehensive examination of what is sometimes called the hidden dimension of multicultural counseling, ‘class.’ A readable text that offers a broad range of information, it will be an important addition to the student’s understanding of how class intersects with culture." - Edward Neukrug, PhD, Professor, Department of Counseling and Human Services, Old Dominion University "I believe this book will be an excellent addition to the multicultural literature for helping professionals.  Each chapter provides a unique and critical perspective for professional counselors to consider in their work with clients. The case studies provided do an excellent job at highlighting how the issue being discussed plays out in the applied world of counseling." John R. Culbreth, PhD, Professor and Doctoral Program Coordinator, Department of Counseling, University of North Carolina at Charlotte