Black Therapists’ Experiences of Class Within Same-Race Psychodynamic Psychotherapy in South Africa

Abstract

South African psychoanalytic psychology has shifted in the last two decades towards embracing the consideration of the influence of identity and positionality on the intersubjective therapeutic space. Within the therapeutic dyad, the therapist and patient bring their individual subjectivities into the consulting room, which together construct and shape the intersubjective space and their experiences of the therapeutic dyad. Black South African1 therapists are uniquely positioned when working within same-race dyads to consider the complex and nuanced impact of race and social class on their therapeutic relationships and processes, yet literature recognising and exploring this intersection within psychotherapy is scant globally, especially within the South African context. This study aimed to contribute to the existing psychoanalytic literature examining the influence of identity and positionality on the therapeutic encounter within the South African context. Specifically, this research study sought to deeply explore the dynamics and nuances of Black South African same-race therapeutic dyads and how class influences Black therapists’ experiences of these dyads. I am a Black, South African middle-class therapist-in-training, and the experiences of race and social class in my personal life shaped the conception and intention of this research topic. My personal experiences, identity, and positionality unavoidably influenced the passage of this study throughout. However, various measures were put in place to maximise accurate and unbiased interpretations of the findings, including the keeping of a reflexive journal and continuous consultation with my research supervisor and personal psychotherapist. Eight Black, South African psychodynamically orientated psychotherapists were interviewed using a semi-structured interview protocol. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Using a relational psychoanalytic framework, the findings were organised and discussed according to four main themes: therapy with Black patients, understanding of social class, experiences of class positioning and mobility, and class in the room. The findings confirmed the assumption that class uniquely influences Black same-race dyads in ways that may enhance, hamper, or complicate the therapeutic encounter. Participants reported that class 1 South African legislature (Employment Equity Act No. 55 of 1998) presently uses the term ‘Black’ to refer to individuals who are non-White (Pirtle, 2023). However, within this report, I use the term ‘Black South African’ to exclusively refer to individuals who identify as Black African, which excludes members of the Coloured and Indian population. 5 shaped their identity and self-experiences as Black, middle-class South Africans and often evoked feelings of envy, shame, and melancholia for both members of the dyad. Participants also reported that class shaped the conscious and unconscious communication in the room and structured the transference-countertransference dynamic in ways that often elicited idealisation, anger, disempowerment, and inhibition. For some dyads, this strengthened the therapeutic alliance while for others, the therapeutic alliance was weakened. The findings of this study indicate that it will be useful for future and current Black therapists, as well as training programs, to consider the intersection of race and class within psychotherapy