Training Overview:

Whenever mental health needs are reported in the news the media looks for an angle linking these needs to violence. Through the use of labels, fear-inducing terminology, sensational headlines, and high-profile murder cases, the media perpetuates stereotypes that incite stigma and discrimination.

This customized thought-provoking workshop/presentation invites participants to explore their own stereotypes about "mental illness"; illustrates how people’s belief systems often prejudice their objectivity; takes an in-depth look at the media’s role in perpetuating stigma; explores internal  stigma (self-stigma) and identifies practical solutions to x-terminate stigma.

This interactive workshop/presentation will include anonymous exercises which invite participants to comfortably share their own perspectives about the reality of stigma and to explore their own stereotypes about “mental illness.” These anonymous responses will then be used as a lead-in to the stigma debate and in a follow-up presentation which offers an explanation about how our belief systems affect our objectivity.

The stigma debate will actually take place when participants are divided into separate groups and asked to debate a commonly held stereotype. Group #1 will be asked to defend this commonly held stereotype and Group #2 will oppose this stereotype. Each group will then get an opportunity to listen to the opposing group and present a rebuttal.

Participants will be introduced to and learn about Mentalism, micro-aggressions and the concept of Persuasion-by-Association, a term coined by distinguished famous author and philosopher Aldous Huxley. This concept is referred to by renowned stigma researcher and Professor of Psychology, Otto Wahl, as Media Madness.This workshop/presentation will also contain examples of stigma including movie clips, news reports, posters, newspaper headlines and commercial products.

Topics Include:

• Stigma or Discrimination
• Micro-aggressions/Mentalism
• Labels and exploitation movies
• Persuasion-by-Association
• Media stereotypes
• PsychoMedia (real vs. reel)
• IOC and the violence debate
• Editorials: weapons of mass deception
• Spinning the Numbers
• The Law of Probability vs. Absolutes
• Internal stigma (self-stigma)
• The power of belief systems
• The #1 Barrier to Recovery
• x-terminating stigma