Exploring Counsellors’ Insights into Effective Support for Clients with Low Income
Abstract
Individuals with low income may experience a greater need for mental health services due to the substantial life challenges and stressors they experience. However, more research needs to explore what has been effective in improving services for this population. The present study addressed this gap through counsellors’ perspectives to identify what has been helpful when working with low-income populations. Counsellors completed an interview regarding their personal and professional experiences working with low-income populations, answering the question, “What have you found to be the most helpful aspects of counselling with clients facing low income?”. Participants then completed a sorting task using the responses from the interview. The sorted responses were analyzed using Group Concept Mapping. The results indicated six concepts: accessibility to counselling services, providing advocacy and resources, addressing basic needs, therapeutic approaches, therapeutic relationship, and understanding barriers. These results were compared to the literature, and recommendations were made regarding counselling and research.