Select a letter to navigate the glossary.

About the Glossary

Words have power and affect how people interpret the world. Using language to challenge old beliefs gives deeper meaning to our lives and our experiences — but it also gives us power. The Well Psychology Glossary is meant to be used often, shared with others, and enjoyed as an empowerment tool.

Ableism

(Noun) Discrimination toward disabled people, which may be expressed through values, beliefs, designs, and systems. Ableism can be a conscious or unconscious action or design. Ableism rests on the belief that disability is a negative and burdensome experience in favor of able-bodied people and ideas of normalcy.

Ex. Despite having a chronic illness, her boss considered her “lazy” for having to take sick days.

Ex. The local library claimed to welcome everyone, but it carried less than 50 audiobooks, so Deaf and hard of hearing people had few choices

Accessibility

(Noun) The ability to be accessed; especially in reference to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. Accessibility needs change and are different for each person.

Ex. Having autism, Sam is sensitive to loud noises, and so he often used noise cancelling headphones as an accessibility device when in public places.

Ex. The lack of gluten free meal options was an accessibility barrier for Megan when dining at restaurants

Accommodations Letter

(Noun) A letter from a medical or mental health professional, institution, or individual that describes a disabled person’s accommodation and access needs in a workplace or education setting. The letter is the result of a collaborative process where a person determines their support needs with the help of health professionals.

Ex. Before she could get special seating on the flight, the airline required an accommodation letter to validate her disabilities.

Agency

(Noun) The awareness that one has power over one’s own actions in the world, independent of the external world.

Ex. After he compelled the city to follow the Americans with Disabilities Act and install an elevator in the subway station, Allan realized that he had agency for positive change.

Ex. More positive representation of Black people in medical history can empower more Black students to realize they have the agency to contribute to medicine and healthcare.

Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)

Legislation that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodation, communications, and governmental activities. In 2008, the ADA was amended to expand the definition of disability and provide more legal protection, thus acknowledging the wide variety of disabilities. The ADA would not have been passed without the work of disability civil rights activists, who began formally arguing for disability liberation and civil rights in the 1960s. Activists like Ed Roberts, Judith Heumann, and the Black Panthers recognized that disabled people lacked access to many social institutions and legal protections; they embraced disability pride and knew that ableism, not their physical and mental disabilities, was the primary cause of the difficulties affecting disabled people.

Ex. Without the Americans with Disabilities Act, many youth in wheelchairs could not attend school or college because neither were legally required to provide wheelchair access.

Altruism

(Noun) The value in or practice of helping others as a selfless act. It is an unselfish regard for other people and their needs and well-being. Altruism is a powerful aspect of group therapy. By helping others, group members come to realize they have value, they can provide support and insight for others. Practicing altruism allows people to gain more self-confidence and understandings of their worth.

Ex. Volunteering with reproductive rights centers led Emily to gain confidence in herself and encouraged her to pursue a certificate in public health.

Autonomy

(Noun) A person’s realization that they have the capacity to self-govern, to make decisions about their personal life, including their body and mind. It is focused on acting based on choices, rather than external pressures and obligations. Autonomy is related to motivation, because if people feel that they can control their life, then this drives their goals and actions. Many environment, political, and cultural factors can diminish people’s capacity for autonomy.

Ex. At the nursing home, the care manager did not offer any daily routine choices to the senior patients, and, as a result, these seniors lost their sense of autonomy over their lifestyle.

Ex. Attending college allowed Zack to realize the autonomy he has regarding his time and education due to the thousands of course options.

Coping

(Verb) An individual’s behavioral or cognitive change that is an attempt to address negative emotions or unpleasant, difficult situations, especially stress (Folkman and Lazarus 1984). Coping is an adaptation strategy that typically occurs by choice. Many people begin therapy to learn positive coping skills rather than avoidance-based skills, and group therapy can help people practice these skills in a social setting.

Ex. To positively cope with their parents’ constant fighting, the kids joined more after school clubs to socialize and build trusting friendships in a positive environment.

Ex. Losing his job really affected Mark’s self-esteem, and without a positive support system, he began to go to bars too often rather than look for a new job.

Disabled

(Adjective/Noun) In a strictly medical sense, disabled refers to the inability to function like the “normal” idea of a physically or mentally person. Disabled people have physical, emotional, or neurological differences from the idea of “normal,” which is often defined by Western medical standards. However, disabled people, especially those involved in disability rights and justice movements, have sought to frame disability as a social and political experience as well. And, many disabled people proudly consider disability part of their identity, like queer or Latinx. See “Disability Culture” and “The Social Model of Disability” for more.

Ex. After taking a disability history course, Alex began to respect disabled people as a different social experience, not a negative or tragic one.

Ex. The city’s limited public transportation system posed many problems for disabled people who then worked tirelessly to advocate for the city to hire disabled city planners.

Disability Culture

(Compound Noun) The lifestyle differences, forms of expression, traditions, practices, and identities that develop as a result of disability. Disability culture is varied and spans across the arts, rights movements, and languages. It is often embraced by disabled people, giving them a sense of community and empowerment. Importantly, through cultural expression disabled people can [Missing Text]

Ex. Despite having hearing aids and cochlear implants, many d/Deaf people choose to use sign language because it is an important part of their disability culture that they are proud to have.

Ex. The Cyborg Circus Project, a disability-led dance and circus in Toronto, features wheelchair users who made their own dance practice after being excluded from mainstream dance groups that only catered to nondisabled people.

Disclosure

(Noun) The act of sharing new or private information, usually an intimate act that involves trust and vulnerability.

Ex. After dating for two months, he disclosed his history of chronic illness.

Distress Tolerance

(Compound Noun) The level of one’s capacity to effectively process difficult emotions. A low distress tolerance can lead a person to develop negative emotions, moods, and behaviors to avoid or deny distress (Lynch and Mizon 2011). Therapy can help people learn how to increase their distress tolerance and manage negative emotions in ways that promote their self-growth.

Ex. Working multiple jobs and attending school full-time began to decrease Jack’s distress tolerance because he faced new pressures and stressors.

Diversity

(Noun) The condition of having or being composed of differing elements; variety; especially in the inclusion of different types of people (as in people of different races, classes, genders, sexualities, disabilities) in a group or organization.

Ex. Many large companies claim to value diversity in their workforce, yet few actively recruit people of color, queer people, and disabled people

Group Therapy

(Compound Noun) A form of psychotherapy in which a trained therapist uses research-supported methods to regularly facilitate conversation, interpersonal relations, and skills building among a small group of people. Each group is a unique social formation that allows people to self-reflect on themselves and their relationships external to the group because groups serve as a micro-model of the external world. But, in the group, emphasis is placed on the “here and now” of the group, not participants’ external issues (Yalom 1995). This emphasis allows participants to build trusting, honest relationships with one another. Through group interaction, each participant gains self-awareness in a manner that transforms their inner self, their relationships, and the group itself.

Ex. It is hoped that therapists realize the value of group therapy because social distancing protocols and remote lifestyles have increased the need for authentic, trusting social interactions

Identity

(Noun) The distinct way a person aligns with a particular group or presents as an individual to society. People hold multiple identities simultaneously and their identities develop over their lifetime.

Ex. As she grew up and realized her sexual orientation as queer, Sasha began to participate in queer culture and felt empowered by these experiences. Now, she considers queerness as part of identity

Interdependent

A type of relationship between two or more people, animals, systems, or things that rely upon one another.

Ex. Although his dog was a service animal, their relationship was interdependent because they each cared for one another

Internalized Stigma

The absorption of negative attitudes and stereotypes about yourself, including your identities, experiences, and conditions. When an individual absorbs these ideas, they believe them to be true and do not have the harmful effects of believing these ideas. Internalized stigma is sometimes called “self-stigma” because it is a form of self-attack.

Ex. He was not actually a failure; the media always represented people with depression as failures, and so he began to believe this about himself when he was diagnosed with depression.

Intersectionality

A framework for accounting for the overlap and interconnectedness of multiple social identities (such as race, gender, disability, and sexuality). It is a way to understand how the complexity of identity, where a person holds multiple identities at once, and how this affects how a person experiences and is treated in the world (Crenshaw 1989). Intersectionality helps people think more fully about the relations between identities, privilege, and systemic oppression.

Ex. While she was accepted at the LGBT center as a queer person, she felt excluded as the only Black woman at the center.

Ex. Maria faced both ableism and sexism at work after disclosing that she has ADHD; male co workers began to treat her as unreliable while also making sexual remarks about her work outfits.

Invisible Disability

(Compound Noun) An “invisible,” “non-visible,” “hidden,” “nonapparent,” or "unseen" disability is any physical, mental, or emotional impairment that goes largely unnoticed. An invisible disability can include, but is not limited to: cognitive impairments and brain injury, autism, chronic illnesses like multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, and fibromyalgia; d/Deaf and/or hard of hearing; blindness and/or low vision; anxiety, depression, PTSD, and many more. The body and mind are always changing in relation to their environment, so disability and chronic illness may be unstable or periodic throughout one’s life.

Ex. Marie’s insulin pump was hidden under her sweater, and so thus, her colleagues did not understand why she needed extra food and drink during meetings.

Ex. The dominant symbol of disability being the blue wheelchair user sign had made some people with invisible disabilities feel less represented.

Neurodiverse

(Adjective) Respecting multifarious neurological realities; neurological differences are variations, not problems or defects. The “diverse” is neurodiverse accepts more than one acceptable type and is neutral. There’s no singular way to be neurodiverse.

Ex. Acknowledging her husband’s ADD as neurodiverse means that she understands he approaches time and organization differently than she does—and he is often more creative and innovative than she.

Normative

(Adjective) Relating to an ideal standard or model, or being based on what is considered to be the normal or correct way of doing something; conforming to the social standard. Normative is often based on mainstream Western science, medicine, and social values and practices.

Ex. The demands placed on diverse bodies and minds are demands that attempt to bring disability closer to an idealized, normative standard of how human bodies/minds should look, perform, and be maintained.

Online Therapy

(Noun) The delivery of mental health services over the internet, which takes the form of video or audio calls. Online therapy is a service built on safe, secure, credentialed therapeutic relationships performed by licensed mental health specialists (LCSWs, MFTs, Psy.D, and Ph.D.s). It can be as equally effective as in-person therapy, and is sometimes called teletherapy or online counseling. See Telehealth for more information.

Ex. The increased number of online therapy options has expanded mental health support access to rural areas and those with limited transportation options.

Pass

(Verb) To be identified, recognized, or accepted as something one is not.

Ex. Once she attended Gallaudet University, decided to remove her hearing aids and only communicate by signing, she made it clear to others that she no longer wanted to pass as a hearing person.

Ex. Calvin was mixed race, yet, he largely passed as white, which upset him because he was proud of his Chinese culture and heritage.

Personal Growth

(Compound Noun) A process that occurs across an individual’s life as they learn to navigate and adjust in different conditions and situations to reach their potential. Ryf and Singer (2008) compared personal growth to Aristotle’s conception of eudaimonia or “striving toward excellence based on one’s unique potential.” Growth depends on many factors, including self-esteem, positive relationships, and acceptance. Everyone’s growth pattern is unique, and growth does not occur in a neat, linear fashion from start to end. How someone’s growth is measured will also differ based on their needs, goals, and starting point.

Ex. Taylor’s hockey team hardly won any games this season, but accepting that she gave her best supported her personal growth

Psychoeducation

(Noun) A professionally delivered mental health therapy mode that combines psychotherapeutic and educational approaches and content. Differing from other forms of therapy, psychoeducation provides support and information to patients about their mental health condition in a holistic manner, teaching certain skills. Loved ones or family may be involved in an individual’s psychoeducation to learn how to best support them and cope.

Ex. During the coronavirus pandemic, many schools and community organizations partnered with mental health professionals to offer psychoeducational workshops on coping with grief and uncertainty.

Radical Acceptance

(Noun) A practice for managing difficult, painful, and even traumatic circumstances. To practice radical acceptance, a person must first fully accept a situation to be able to stop dwelling in suffering and bitterness. After this acceptance, we are better suited to address the issue at hand. We need to accept reality fully, acknowledge where we are, and then we can begin to change (Linehan 2004).

Ex. She knew she’d never get work if she kept feeling like a failure for being fired from her last job.

Ex. The community and experience shared in the leukemia support group help him release his bitterness toward his cancer and come to terms with his current situation

Radical Allyship

(Noun) A commitment made by a person who is not part of a particular group, but is supportive of the group; one who acts to help and empower that group’s rights, visibility, and ideas. An allyship is “radical” when an ally is willing to self-reflect and change their own attitudes to support another group. Radical allyship is a process of growth and change.

Ex. As a white, anti-racist ally, he refused to work for any company that did not hire people of color on a regular basis.

Resilience

(Noun) The capacity to adapt to difficult life events and conditions. Resilience develops or is learned through many factors, such as skills-building, coping mechanisms, support systems, and self-reflection.

Ex. Due to moving homes every few years, they were concerned about their son’s resilience to deal with uncertainty

Sanism

(Noun) The discrimination, bias, and oppression of people with a mental illness or intellectual disability. Sanism occurs at the individual, legal and institutional levels.

Ex. Jon experienced sanism after being diagnosed with anxiety, his friends trusted him less and began to doubt his decisions.

Self Advocacy

(Compound Noun) A form of supporting and vocalizing one’s needs and rights, usually in an effort to address inequalities, acquire support, and generally improve one’s quality of life in a given situation, such as work or school.

Ex. The senior center offered few mental health support services, so Anthony spoke to the care manager to express his need for that support

Self-Determination

(Compound Noun) A person’s capacity to make decisions and manage their life based on their own motivations, not external influence. It is a part growth and building confidence as a person gains a sense of control over themselves and their life.

Ex. Nina finally found a physician that respected her self-determination to make choices about treatment.

Social Model of Disability

(Compound Noun) A framework for understanding disability as the product of discursive, cultural, and societal factors, which benefits the person with disabilities by not focusing on their body or mind as a “problem” or “burden.” Instead, the Social Model focuses on physical and social barriers and norms that prevent full access and participation for people with disabilities. The person with the impairment is not the “problem,” it is the larger societal norms that cannot accommodate their difference from the Western construction of a “normal” body and mind. For more information on these models of disability see Tom Shakespeare (2006) and Eli Clare (1999).

Ex. Changing social attitudes toward autism to see it as a positive experience will allow for more autistic people to gain greater inclusion into many social programs and institutions.

Ex. The nonstop 9-5 typical workday prevents many people with sleep and attention disorders from employment in these jobs.

Support Group

(Compound Noun) A formal or informal regular gathering of people who share a similar experience, meeting to offer and gain advice, knowledge, and comfort through empathy. Different from group therapy, support groups tend to be more education-based and may be facilitated by people other than psychologists, such as social workers or community leaders. Support groups are not covered by health insurance, whereas group therapy is covered.

Ex. After a lonely first year of college, Michael joined a LGBT support group to learn more about how he can engage with the local LGBT community, hopefully ending his feelings of loneliness.

Systemic Racism

(Compound Noun) Racism produced as a result of the policies, practices, and design of systems, such as countries or industries. The structure of these systems differently excludes and impacts different racial groups. Because this form of racism is at the system level, it can go unnoticed and appear as objective and fair to all racial groups. Systematic racism is extremely difficult to end, but many civil rights and liberation groups have long been working to create more racially equitable systems.

Ex. Many U.S. history textbooks only promote famous white leaders in WW2, thus ignoring the important contributions of non-white Americans. Textbook publishers can correct this systemic racism by producing historical accounts that accurately represent the diversity of American leaders involved in WW2.

Telehealth

(Noun) The process by which healthcare services are delivered virtually, often through phone or video. Through telecommunication technologies, clinicians can provide various services, including diagnosis, consultation, treatment, education, and monitoring patient care. Telehealth is increasingly used in all types of medicine, beyond psychiatry. Telehealth is the industry term used in legal settings, policies, and by health clinicians and insurance companies.

Ex. A trusted therapist knowledgeable about how racism impacts mental health was difficult to find locally, but telehealth services allowed Kay to gain access to more therapy options.

Uncertainty Distress

The negative emotions we experience in response to a situation in which we don’t know what happens next (Freeston et al., 2020).

Ex. Liz experienced anxious feelings from the uncertainty over the future of the job market, more so than her currently being unemployed.

Wellness

(Noun) The process of becoming self-aware and making choices that allow you to best suit your needs, set goals, and grow at your own pace. Wellness and being in “good health” are not reliant upon one another; a person can have an illness or disability and still work toward wellness. Rather, wellness is a holistic process that accounts for the relationship between all aspects of your life that affect your wellbeing, including work, social relationships, environmental, finances, and physical health, emotional health, and spirituality.

Ex. To promote wellness, schools and community centers should strive to have on-site mediation spaces, gyms, counselors, and life planning advisors to empower students and community members to achieve a more balanced lifestyle

Zoom Emergence

(Compound Noun) The process and event of online community formation that is created through shared risk and vulnerability, as well as mutual trust and care. Zoom emergence is the opposite of Zoom fatigue because it supports energy levels because it results from a meaningful, positive experience.

Ex: During the coronavirus pandemic, participation in online support group conversations allowed people to feel reconnected and form new bonds through meaningful screen time.

Zoom Fatigue

(Compound Noun) The feelings of tiredness and disconnection that results from the overuse of screen technologies, especially video conferencing, and from the social expectations of how to behave during video conferences. It is associated with work and school settings, where relationships are not as meaningful and more energy is used to meet social expectations (Dudley 2020).

Ex. The office team found themselves more tired when remote working because video conferences with clients made their homes feel like workspaces.