Mental Health Vocabulary

Affirmation

Positive feedback that helps others feel appreciated and supported.

Bullying

Deliberately harming or threatening another person who cannot easily defend himself or herself.

Character

The distinctive qualities that describe how a person thinks, feels, and behaves.

Closure

Acceptance of a loss.

Cognitive Therapy

A treatment method designed to identify and correct distorted thinking patterns that can lead to feelings and behaviors that may be troublesome, self-defeating, or self-destructive.

Compromise

A problem-solving method in which each participant gives up something to reach a solution that satisfies everyone.

Conflict Resolution

The process of ending a conflict through cooperation and problem-solving.

Constructive Criticism

Nonhostile comments that point out problems and encourage improvement.

Cooperation

Working together for the good of all.

Coping

Dealing successfully with difficult changes in your life.

Empathy

The ability to imagine and understand how someone else feels.

Fairness

You play by the rules, take turns, and share. You are open minded, and you listen to others. You don't take advantage of others, and you don’t blame others.

Grieving

A common and natural reaction to any loss that brings on strong emotions.

Hazing

Making others perform certain tasks in order to join the group.

Hierarchy of Needs

A ranked list of those needs essential to human growth and development, presented in ascending order, starting with basic needs and building toward the need for reaching your highest potential.

Integrity

A firm observance of core ethical values.

Mediation

Bringing in a neutral third party to help others resolve their conflicts peacefully.

Mourning

The act of showing sorrow or grief.

Negotiation

The use of communication and, in many cases, compromise to settle a disagreement.

Personal Identity

Your sense of yourself as a unique individual.

Prejudice

An unfair opinion or judgement of a particular group of people.

Resilient

The ability to adapt effectively and recover from disappointment, difficulty, or crisis.

Role

The parts you play in your relationships.

Role Model

Someone whose success and behavior serves as an example for you.

Self-Actualization

To strive to become the best you can be.

Self-Esteem

How much you value, respect, and feel confident about yourself.

Self-talk

 The encouragement or criticism that you give yourself.

Stages of Grief

A variety of reactions that may surface as an individual makes sense of how a loss affects him or her.

Suppression

Consciously and intentionally pushing unpleasant feelings out of one's mind.

Stereotype

Exaggerated or oversimplified beliefs about people who belong to a certain group.

Tolerance

The ability to accept others’ differences.

Traumatic Event

Any event that has a stressful impact sufficient to overwhelm your normal coping strategies.