Doc and Chaps: Normalizing Psychology and Implementing Prevention Strategies

I've noticed quite a few articles that talk about prevention (including the first two articles for my positive psych class) and also trying to spread the word that psychology is not "just for crazies." But how do we do this?

The real life attempts I've seen have been interesting. Mental health fairs, talking posts, and advertising campaigns involving posters with a simple message: anyone can go to a therapist. But if you search for these terms, you'll see a lot about "awareness" themes focusing a lot on suicide and depression, or even just everyday stress. But these topics (while absolutely relevant and important) are the very reasons why the general public get scared away from us! 

Think of all the reasons why people don't want to see a therapist: 

• Freud. He is popularly known as a perverted psycho. While this may or may not be true, this is how a lot of people still see psychotherapy as a whole. They don't want to lay down on our couches and talk about how they want to bone their mother. That's just weird.*
• Avoidance. People spend a good portion of their lives trying not to think about sad or scary things. And, since this is what people think therapists are for, they try to avoid them. It's not necessarily healthy, but you can see where they are coming from, right?
• Misinformation. I'm sure that, if you are in the field of psychology or have told friends and family that that is what you are studying, someone, at some point in time, has asked you if you can analyze them or asked if you can read their mind. They feel like you are going to start probing their thoughts or some other crazy stuff (that would make therapy a lot easier, I bet). 
• Finally, a big part of it is that people feel like if they are associated with a therapist, they will be judged. A big movie trope is the lunatic who starts a date off with, "well, my therapist said..."

How can we change this?

Well, my first thought goes to the Navy, and the stark contrast between Naval physicians and chaplains versus the psychologists. "Doc" and "Chaps" were like local rock stars: they would walk around high-fiving, fist-bumping, telling jokes; even in their intimidating officer uniforms, you felt safe talking to them. When they just acknowledged your existence you felt special. But the psychologists, uniforms or no, hunkered down in their offices. They were stiff and uninviting, and if you had to go see them, it was usually because you were in trouble. 

So:

What if we took this route? In schools and colleges and even in larger workplaces, have a different kind of "Doc" running around? Obviously, they wouldn't be seeing patients all the time, but they would be a kind of "ambassador," if you will, to the rest of the psych department. Someone to monitor morale and spread the word about these "mental health fairs" and "talking posts." But they wouldn't have to focus just on mental health, either. They could be the ones to announce different club meetings (at schools) and occasionally hand out treats, or whatever. 

The only real drawback I see is if this person can't be seen as genuine. If it's too forced, it'll be obvious; introduction of this person would have to be slow. But I think if this idea is implemented all over the country (even the world, really), psychology as both a means for healing and for prevention could truly benefit. 

What do you think?

*Not judging, just sayin'.