Home » Courses » Short Courses and Workshops » Class and Belonging in a Middle-Class (Therapeutic) Profession Workshop

Class and Belonging in a Middle-Class (Therapeutic) Profession Workshop

Class and Belonging in a Middle-Class (Therapeutic) Profession

This Class and Belonging in a Middle-Class (Therapeutic) Profession workshop explores the impact of social class on professional identity, relational dynamics, and belonging. It begins by offering theoretical definitions of class and examining the characteristics of the middle-class therapeutic profession. This is followed by an exploration of the key concept of embodied class prejudice* as well as the conflicts of adaptation and authenticity in navigating class dynamics in relationships.

Participants will engage with a case study and self-reflection to understand how class prejudice shapes therapy access, professional interactions, and career trajectories. Discussions will focus on challenges such as internalised classism, financial barriers, and the unspoken middle-class cultural and knowledge norms that may inadvertently reinforce class-based exclusion.

The workshop concludes with a call to action, equipping attendees with strategies to challenge classism and foster a culture of equality and belonging within the profession.

Presenter: Mamood Ahmad, UKCP Psych.

Mamood Ahmad (he/him) is a UKCP-registered psychotherapist, course tutor, public speaker, and the founder of The Antidiscrimination Focus (TADF). He collaborates with communities, accreditation bodies, training providers, and institutes, employing a whole-person ecological vision to embed the client and social context into psychological curricula, service design, and organisational structures. He is the author of A New Introduction to Counselling and Psychotherapy, published by Routledge. Since 2012, he has run a private therapy practice in Berkshire, England.

Mamood Ahmad tutor photograph