Navigating foreignness and non-nativeness in post-Brexit Britain: the lived experience of non-British counselling psychology and psychotherapy trainees

This qualitative research project uses Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the experiences of foreign, non-native counselling psychologists and psychotherapists in training who reside, study, and practice in the UK following Brexit. The study aims to capture the participants' subjective experiences of Brexit, its impact on their personal and professional lives, and any shifts, changes, or disruptions that have occurred as a result.
Six participants were involved in the research, and semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather data. The transcribed data were analysed with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), resulting in the identification of various themes that shed light on how the participants perceive Brexit and its effects on their personal and professional identities. Participants described experiencing a disruption to their sense of belonging and integration into the UK, which negatively impacted their multicultural and multilingual identity development and interpersonal connections. A prevailing sense of loss was expressed, stemming from uncertainties in personal and professional spheres and a diminished feeling of safety following Brexit. The participants also felt a loss of individuality, as Brexit reinforced the categorisation of individuals into ingroup and outgroup, with outgroup members being perceived as undifferentiated representatives of a particular social cluster, namely foreigners. Discrimination and rejection based on cultural and linguistic differences were also perceived as consequences of Brexit, affecting both their social and professional lives. Furthermore, the trainees experienced a sense of disempowerment when interacting with domestic clients in the time of Brexit. Notably, despite the challenges faced, the participants developed unique and effective coping strategies.
This research contributes to a deeper understanding of how significant socio-political changes, like Brexit, can impact the field of multicultural and multilingual therapy and the well-being of counselling psychologists and psychotherapists in the early stages of their professional development. It is hoped that this study will foster cultural awareness among the broader international student community, institutions, and supervisors regarding the intersection of mental health and politics, opening new avenues for discussion.