Stigma In Counselling

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treatment should be encouraged, it would be advantageous for therapists and family members alike to consider two concepts. First, public stigma is the perception held by others in society that an individual is socially unacceptable. Second, self-stigma, is the perception held by the individual that he or she is socially unacceptable, which can lead to a reduction in self-esteem or self-worth if the person seeks psychological help (Vogel, Wade, & Hackler, 2007, p. 41). When an individual internalizes such beliefs of self, it has been determined that public stigma is related to self-stigma in that self-stigma is associated with the attitudes individuals have towards counseling . For example, the emphasis on the traditional male gender role …show more content…
Researchers have acclaimed the familiar belief that group counseling is for highly disturbed individuals (Vogel, Shechtman, & Wade, 2010). This statement lends weight to the mental processing of persons seeking group counseling. Will a person consider themselves psychologically unfit should their preference be group therapy rather than individual counseling? The role of self-stigma may be more prevalent in group counseling when disclosure is viewed as a fear of rejection by other group members, and therefore, creating reinforced negative beliefs about one’s self (Vogel, Shechtman, & Wade, 2010) . To clarify, group counseling has been labeled for exceedingly disturbed individuals. One reason is that therapists have reported high levels of anxiety present early on for individuals in group (Vogel et al., 2010). As such, criticism and fear of rejection can perpetuate the cycle of self-stigma. In contrast, self-stigma in group counseling can be minimized when other members share their story, discuss the benefits of group counseling, and the experience with the therapists is professional, caring, and not viewed as media stereotypes for people suffering with mental illness (Wade, Post, Cornish, Vogel, & Tucker,