Psychotherapy for self-stigma among rural clients

Abstract

The stigma of mental disorders and psychological treatment afflicts rural clients more than most. This article provides practitioners with guidance in selecting and utilizing effective treatments for self-stigma in rural settings. We review both public stigma and self-stigma. Public stigma explains society's negative impact on individuals, while self-stigma describes an individual's internalization of public stigma. We review treatment principles and empirical research on psychotherapy for self-stigma rural settings. We finish with a case illustration of cognitive therapy with a rural client suffering from self-stigma.