title: "Honoring somebody that society doesn't honor": therapists working in the context of poverty.
abstract: Although it has been widely acknowledged that people living in poverty are underserved by mental health professionals, little is known about the experiences of psychotherapists who are currently working with poor clients. What can we learn from these clinicians that may help us more effectively prepare trainees for work in the context of poverty? This qualitative investigation analyzed narrative data from 10 therapists regarding their work with poor clients. Participants revealed perceptions of the challenging (and rewarding) nature of this work, the inadequacies of their training to meet these demands, and the damaging influence of social stigma within their clients' lives and presenting problems, as well as on clinicians' own occupational status.
authors.affiliation: Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA. lsmith@tc.columbia.edu
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dykema
authors.forename: Danae
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hamlet
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shellman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011586:Psychology, Clinical / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012923:Social Class; D062487:Social Marginalization; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States