Episode 31 - Nell Ash - Psychotherapist & Writer

FOLLOW US:  Not a Rich Kid - Instagram  Class Therapy: Working-Class Mental Health, Power, and the Limits of “Therapy Speak” Kath Dolheguy interviews Nell Ash, a psychotherapist and creator of the Instagram project Class Therapy, which shares accessible, compassionate, class-informed mental health insights. Nell explains how counseling training felt shaped by middle-class sensibilities and “professional neutrality,” and how nearby 2024 race riots involving men she knew underscored that conventional therapeutic frameworks wouldn’t reach many working-class people. They discuss barriers to class-aware therapy, including cost, being read through stigmatising labels, power and surveillance dynamics, and clients spending paid time educating therapists about working-class life. The conversation critiques shallow social-media “therapy speak,” attachment theory, CBT’s individualism, and grift-y relationship/wellness culture, emphasising context, community, grace, and practical tools. Nell’s writing is becoming a toolkit-style book planned for 2027. 00:00 Content Warning 00:19 Meet Nell Ash 02:12 Class Therapy Origins 04:42 Growing Up  07:28 Becoming Class Aware 09:32 Therapy Titles Explained 10:46 Frameworks Built for Flanders 13:36 Therapy Speak and Capitalism 15:57 State Surveillance and Survival 21:15 Class Barriers in Therapy 26:39 Masking and Professionalism 30:20 Pushback and Accessibility 32:32 Lived Experience Before Theory 35:24 Class as Kaleidoscope 36:16 Creativity Returns 36:57 Dating Culture Grifts 38:39 Class and Feminism Today 39:45 Tradwives and Choice 41:59 Divine Feminine Myths 43:38 Boundaries and Repair 44:44 Selfhood to Burn 47:21 Aspirational Media Pressure 49:06 Bodies and Supremacy Ideals 51:04 Codependency Labels 54:11 Soft Strings Framework 57:53 Book Toolkit Preview 59:43 Best and Worst Jobs 01:00:57 Art That Reflects Class 01:03:40 Working Class Icons 01:05:12 Closing Thanks Get in touch:  Are you a working class person who wants to pursue a creative career but don't know where to start? Get in touch via instagram - we'd be happy to give you some advice. Tell us who you would like to hear from. Is there someone we should invite on the podcast? Let us know!  The Not a Rich Kid Team:  Kath Dolheguy  Frankie Kanatas Sarah Ryan-Linstrom  Post audio - Mike Tillbrook  Theme song:  ‘Barry Michael Takes a Train’ by Sand Pebbles - Written & performed by Ben Michael and performed and mixed by Murray Ono Jamieson.  Not a Rich Kid would not be possible without the support of:   VCA who provided studio space City of Melbourne Arts Grants Supported by the City of Melbourne Arts Grants