Counselors identify significant barriers to mental health care for low-income clients, suggesting systemic changes are needed for better accessibility.
This study aimed to answer the question, “What have [counselors] found to be the least helpful aspects of counseling with clients facing low income?” One hundred thirteen counselors were recruited via mass email, completed an online survey, and participated in individual interviews. Using a group concept mapping procedure, participants grouped the data into seven concepts, including barriers due to low income and employment, systemic barriers for clients, obstacles due to trauma, competing needs and priorities, biased approaches, limits to real-world helpfulness of counseling, and negative impacts of systems on and for counselors. The results highlight the importance of identifying and addressing inequities faced by clients living with a low income to increase the accessibility and availability of mental health services for all.
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Keast et al. (2025) studied this question.
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