Recently, CICS launched its Diploma in Pluralistic Psychotherapy, a qualifying course for general psychotherapists and an access course for the CICS Diploma in Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy. What sets this program apart is its strong foundation in anti-oppressive practice.
With mindful consideration of the dearly-held therapeutic principles of authenticity and congruence, this emergent field in counselling and psychotherapy informs not only the course content but also how it is taught. To this end, we have developed eight anti-oppressive teaching strategies to guide our approach and to guard against tokenism, unconscious collusion or bias. Future posts will explore the nuances of these strategies in more detail; however, I would first like to address why we need them at all.
My name is Loki (he/him). I am a COSRT-Registered Psychosexual and Relationship Therapist and M-Level 7 trained educator with over 20 years’ experience in both mainstream HE/FE and SEND education settings. I hold QTLS (Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills) status and am a Lead Tutor for the CICS Diploma in Pluralistic Psychotherapy. As an educator, but also a queer man from a working-class background, I have observed and experienced oppressive practices firsthand. However, I want to also acknowledge the platform and social mobility I am afforded by also being male, cis-gender, white, non-religious, British-born, neurotypical, university-educated, and physically enabled. My intent is not to speak on behalf of those with other marginalised identities but to leverage what privilege I have and advocate for allyship and systemic change.
Colonial and Class-Based Foundations
To dismantle and reform an oppressive system, we must examine its intent, implementation, and impact. We achieve this by shining light on its historical origins, analysing how it perpetrates oppression, and by considering the social consequences of its political structures.
The British education system, like many institutions in the UK, is rooted in colonial, capitalist, and class-based hierarchies that reinforce social inequality. Historically, education has served elite interests and fortified colonial control through forced assimilation. In former colonies, education functioned as a tool of imperialism and cultural erasure, imposing British values, perspectives and language upon indigenous populations. Equally, education has traditionally maintained class divisions through private grammar schools preparing upper- and middle-class children for leadership, and with working-class students being steered toward industrial labour.
Both domestically and abroad, education was designed to create a compliant workforce rather than foster critical thinking. Traces of this approach persist in Britain today through rigid structures, institutionalised learning, and standardised assessments that prioritise uniformity, discipline and obedience over individuality and cultural empowerment.
At CICS we encourage our students to dream. In this, there is power.
The National Curriculum remains predominantly Eurocentric, glorifying empire-building while downplaying colonial violence, slavery, and exploitation. This fosters historical amnesia, preventing students from critically engaging with the checkered complexity of Britain’s past and its enduring inequalities.
Social Oppression: Race, Religion, GSRD, and Neurodiversity
British schools continue to subscribe to Eurocentric curriculum models that centre white, Western perspectives while neglecting, distorting, or misrepresenting the histories, cultures, and contributions of people of colour. In some local authorities, exclusion rates for black Caribbean children, have been reported as up to six times higher than their white peers. Similarly, Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller pupils’ attainment levels remain consistently below the national average across all key stages. Teaching colonial history without acknowledging intergenerational trauma and racial inequality perpetuates harm, often rendering education a site of cultural violence, rather than empowerment.
British schools that prioritise Christian values and traditions risk reducing non-dominant faiths to tokenistic references, while marginalising students from other religious backgrounds. The Prevent Strategy, (part of the UK’s counterterrorism policy) further entrenches cultural profiling, with ‘Prevent Duty’ particularly targeting Muslim students, who are treated as potential security threats, rather than learners.
Gender oppression also remains deeply embedded in education, reinforcing rigid gender norms. Scientific, technological, engineering and mathematics-based (STEM) subjects, for instance, are typically understood as male-dominated fields. So-called ‘soft skills’, social care and teaching are traditionally feminised, limiting opportunities for students based on outdated stereotypes regardless of individual aptitude. GSRD (Gender, Sexual, and Relationship Diversity) oppression extends to LGBTQ+ students and those from non-traditional family and support structures, who continue to experience discrimination in schools that fail to meaningfully represent or validate non-heteronormative identities. Despite the British repeal of Section 28 over two decades ago, many educational spaces remain unsafe or unsupportive for queer students and educators alike.
Neurodivergent students face significant barriers in a predominantly ableist education system. Misunderstood, infantilised, under-supported, or over-disciplined, they often find themselves excluded from mainstream educational opportunities. Masking neurodivergent traits in order to ‘fit in’ to neurotypical school culture is chronically exhausting and psychologically harmful. Even where accommodations are made, they rarely promote accessible communication, flexible learning, or sensory-inclusive environments.
For each of these inequalities, dozens of others still exist. That’s not to say that education hasn’t improved; there are many organisations and teaching professionals out there working to turn the proverbial oil tanker. However, in all cases, these challenges are exacerbated for students with intersecting marginalised identities, compounding their experiences of systemic oppression and reducing their opportunities for success.
Implications for Anti-Oppressive Therapeutic Training
Oppressive teaching practices marginalise students and reinforce systemic inequalities, that disadvantage, ‘other’ and ultimately, harm, those from already marginalised communities. In therapeutic training, this is significant.
Therapists have a duty to recognise how systemic oppression shapes their clients’ identities and undermines good mental health. An ability to reflect on their own biases and lived experiences is equally important to ensure they do not perpetuate harm in therapeutic spaces. When modelled effectively, anti-oppressive practice fosters cultural empathy, critical awareness and relational reflexivity. It equips therapists to navigate calcified social dynamics and provide inclusive, culturally-competent therapy at a time when arguably, we need it most. For therapists in training, understanding these dynamics is not optional—it’s a necessity. By adopting anti-oppressive teaching strategies, we prepare future practitioners to challenge social injustices, foster cultural humility, and provide affirming, compassionate support. Now more than ever, education and training must serve as a catalyst for change rather than a means of maintaining oppressive social structures.
Education is a powerful tool that can either reinforce oppression or foster liberation. By acknowledging and addressing the historical and systemic inequalities embedded in how we both teach and learn, we can consciously unlearn harmful ideologies and ideas. This allows us to hold space for inclusive, equitable, and contemporary learning experiences.
At CICS we encourage our students to dream.
In this, there is power.
Read more about our Diploma in Pluralistic Psychotherapy.
