Mentoring Trainees with Lived Experience of Psychopathology: A Strengths-based, Cultural Humility Framework for Psychological Scientists

Mental health difficulties are prevalent among psychologists, yet trainees are often discouraged from disclosing their lived experience with psychopathology due to persistent stigma. For much of history, lived experience with psychopathology has been treated as a deficit within the profession. However, emerging research and perspectives are beginning to challenge this status quo by highlighting that lived experience can be an asset in psychological science and practice. Despite this shift, there remains little guidance on how to navigate this topic in mentor-mentee relationships. In this commentary, we outline a strengths-based, cultural humility framework for mentorship of psychologists with lived experience that incorporates principles of feminist mentoring. The framework emphasizes empowerment, mutual respect, and equity (feminist principles), as well as commitments to openness to experience, self-awareness, lifelong learning, perspective-taking, and valuing expertise via experience (cultural humility principles). Moving beyond a deficits-view of psychopathology, we provide practical guidance across common professional scenarios: recruiting applicants, evaluating personal statements, and navigating situations when a mentee is distressed, requesting accommodations, or interested in leveraging their lived experiences in their work. By offering this framework and corresponding professional scenarios, we aim to facilitate dialogue on mentoring trainees with lived experience of psychopathology.