Portrayals of Mental Health and Therapy in the Media: An Interview with Danah Davis Williams, LMFT
Curt and Katie interview Danah Davis Williams, LMFT on the portrayals of mental health and therapy in the media. We explore responsible portrayals as well as the harmful practices that some writers and studios engage in. We also talk about the opportunities for modern therapists to have an impact on how diagnoses and mental health treatment are represented on film and television.
Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!
An Interview with Danah Davis Williams, LMFT
Danah Davis Williams is a Licensed Psychotherapist, an Actor, a Psychological Creative Consultant, a Podcast Host and current Past President of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT).
As a therapist, Danah is in private practice in Santa Barbara, California (California Coastal Counseling) where she specializes in helping people break destructive patterns of coping through the use of practical, evidenced-based coping skills and personal process. She is extensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT).
As a consultant, Danah provides personalized psychological consultation for filmmakers, executives and creatives committed to socially responsible, captivating storytelling through authentic characterization of mental health, its treatment and interpersonal impact. She runs a psychological consulting business helping entertainment industry leaders ensure accurate representation of mental health: working with filmmakers, writers, execs, and high-profile actors from networks like FX, CBS, ABC, NBC, Freeform and MGM.
What does the media get wrong when portraying mental health and therapy?
Inaccurate portrayals of diagnoses
Manipulative or unethical therapists
The problems with “guilty pleasures” that include inaccurate or harmful portrayals
The opportunities for therapists to be creators and consultants
Translating clinical work into consulting and creating
Vulnerability when sharing journey as a therapist
Using skills from practice building to create opportunities as a creator
The process of consultation for scripts and what to consider when providing feedback
Ethical thoughts related to representations
How to build a network and consulting business
How the storytellers look at mental health and healing
The silver bullet that “heals” the client
Inaccurate portrayals of therapy or healing and the impact on clients
Ethics to consider (especially given you’re not acting within your profession with an ethical code)
The challenges of unscripted shows
Shows that get it right when it comes to mental health and treatment
This is us – Toby
Comprehensive and realistic, tapping into lived experience within actors and/or writers
The attempts to portray diversity and the experience of marginalized communities and their interaction in the mental health system
Diversifying Media and the Portrayals of Mental Health and Therapy
Ava Duvernay’s Array program
Michael B Jordan hiring students and mentoring the next generation
Decreasing stigma for folks who have not typically sought mental health services
How to advocate for accurate mental health portrayals in the media
Calling things out on social media that are good and things that are done poorly (or are harmful)
Content creation about shows you watch (like blogs, articles, etc.)
Discussing content in sessions to help process what folks are viewing or their own experience
Not watching or purchasing tickets to content that is harmful (not reinforcing “guilty pleasures”)