2 answers
Jaelyn
Student
Lee's Summit, Missouri
1
Question
Asked
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How do we shift the world of psychology, by having psychologist share their own personal testimony of mental health with patients to remove the stigma of talking about mental health problems ?
I am currently a high school senior, who is attending University of North Carolina Charlotte, double majoring in Psychology and Vocal Music Performance. I would to like to know more about eliminating stigmas of mental health.
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2 answers
Michelle M.
Actress
2520
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Jaelyn !
It is so wonderful that you are doing dual enrollment and have aspirations of going into Psychology !
My perspective is - there really is no stigma attached to mental health at this time in our American culture. Going for counseling or therapy is a very common thing, Psychology is one of the top popular majors for college students and there are a multitude of mental health programs in our country, well funded. We, in my view, have far surpassed the 20th Century stigmas that once were. People will always have opinions, attitudes and limited information that may still provide them with certain ideas about mental health, but if there were still the archaic stigmas, I don't think so many people would be going for services as they are and that so many people would enter the career. I have a lot of different ideas about mental health and think it's actually physical in nature, so I am not usual on this subject.
There are a lot of innovative mental health professionals out there. One of the mainstays in being trained as a professional in this field is that you do not break the client-psych worker barrier by revealing things about your personal life. In my view, it wouldn't contribute anything to "breaking stigma". It would interfere with the engagement process and establishing roles with the client or patient.
I believe that an important thing to not only learn in life but be comfortable with, is that not everyone is going to think like you do. Imagine how boring it would be if everyone conceived things the same, had the same exact beliefs, constantly reacting in the same exact way to things. The solution is to grow to a place in which one doesn't care what other people think, be true to your self, your beliefs and share them because some people will be receptive.
There are so many vital things to tackle in the mental health field that what other people think, to me, is a non-issue. The U.S. has more than established itself being in the forefront of mental health services, evidencing that we've come a long way from the beginnings of this field. So go forward confidently with your studies in psychology. You are going to discover many things that you can contribute to this field. Don't let the thought of other people's opinions stand in the way or make you feel that you'd have less patients or clients.
I wish you all the best and there's nothing better than a singing psychologist ! Enjoy your studies !
It is so wonderful that you are doing dual enrollment and have aspirations of going into Psychology !
My perspective is - there really is no stigma attached to mental health at this time in our American culture. Going for counseling or therapy is a very common thing, Psychology is one of the top popular majors for college students and there are a multitude of mental health programs in our country, well funded. We, in my view, have far surpassed the 20th Century stigmas that once were. People will always have opinions, attitudes and limited information that may still provide them with certain ideas about mental health, but if there were still the archaic stigmas, I don't think so many people would be going for services as they are and that so many people would enter the career. I have a lot of different ideas about mental health and think it's actually physical in nature, so I am not usual on this subject.
There are a lot of innovative mental health professionals out there. One of the mainstays in being trained as a professional in this field is that you do not break the client-psych worker barrier by revealing things about your personal life. In my view, it wouldn't contribute anything to "breaking stigma". It would interfere with the engagement process and establishing roles with the client or patient.
I believe that an important thing to not only learn in life but be comfortable with, is that not everyone is going to think like you do. Imagine how boring it would be if everyone conceived things the same, had the same exact beliefs, constantly reacting in the same exact way to things. The solution is to grow to a place in which one doesn't care what other people think, be true to your self, your beliefs and share them because some people will be receptive.
There are so many vital things to tackle in the mental health field that what other people think, to me, is a non-issue. The U.S. has more than established itself being in the forefront of mental health services, evidencing that we've come a long way from the beginnings of this field. So go forward confidently with your studies in psychology. You are going to discover many things that you can contribute to this field. Don't let the thought of other people's opinions stand in the way or make you feel that you'd have less patients or clients.
I wish you all the best and there's nothing better than a singing psychologist ! Enjoy your studies !
Chinyere Okafor
Educationist and Counseling Psychologist
971
Answers
Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria
Updated
Chinyere’s Answer
Hi Jaelyn,
Good question! Reducing stigma in mental health by promoting transparency, particularly from professionals in the area, is a significant and strong issue that your question touches on. You are adding an interesting and expressive voice to the discussion as someone who is going to study both psychology and vocal music performance, which is precisely what the field needs.
It is definitely possible to normalize mental health issues by psychologists expressing their own experiences, but this must be done carefully. These days, a lot of professionals share stories in public spaces that promote transparency while upholding professional boundaries, such as blogs, podcasts, and public speaking events, rather than in therapeutic settings with clients. By demonstrating that everyone is impacted by mental health, including the helpers, this type of openness helps dispel the "us vs. them" mentality.
You can help bring about this change as you begin your academic career by participating in mental health advocacy, joining campus groups that emphasize awareness, and applying your musical training to produce artwork or performances that address mental health issues. We can combat stigma more effectively if we establish safe spaces and have genuine conversations. Keep speaking up and pursuing this with all of your heart; you're already making a difference.
Best wishes!
Good question! Reducing stigma in mental health by promoting transparency, particularly from professionals in the area, is a significant and strong issue that your question touches on. You are adding an interesting and expressive voice to the discussion as someone who is going to study both psychology and vocal music performance, which is precisely what the field needs.
It is definitely possible to normalize mental health issues by psychologists expressing their own experiences, but this must be done carefully. These days, a lot of professionals share stories in public spaces that promote transparency while upholding professional boundaries, such as blogs, podcasts, and public speaking events, rather than in therapeutic settings with clients. By demonstrating that everyone is impacted by mental health, including the helpers, this type of openness helps dispel the "us vs. them" mentality.
You can help bring about this change as you begin your academic career by participating in mental health advocacy, joining campus groups that emphasize awareness, and applying your musical training to produce artwork or performances that address mental health issues. We can combat stigma more effectively if we establish safe spaces and have genuine conversations. Keep speaking up and pursuing this with all of your heart; you're already making a difference.
Best wishes!