When it comes to therapy, does it really matter what race your therapist is? For many, sitting down with someone who shares the same, or similar, racial makeup is essential.
Brittany Minor, a Black mother in Florida, only wants Black women therapists — a sentiment echoed overwhelmingly by other Black women, as well as by other people of color who desire therapists of similar races and backgrounds. The married mom of two works full-time, oversees her children’s virtual learning, and runs a Facebook group supporting Black moms in the Orlando, Florida, area. As of now, Minor is currently searching for a Black woman therapist for her daughter as well as one for herself. She, like many people during the pandemic, is choosing to be proactive about her mental health.
We began 2021 entering the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s been almost a full year since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus a pandemic. In that year, social distancing, quarantine, working from home, distance learning, millions of deaths (approximately half a million in the US alone), civil uprisings, and Capitol insurrections have taken a toll on people and their mental health.
Many folks searching for therapists during the pandemic — or during any time, really — may desire their therapists to exhibit and inhabit particular qualities and identities so that they feel better seen and understood. For people who belong to marginalized communities, it may be a question of safety, and of not experiencing further trauma in their journey of mental health and healing. Minor sought a very specific type of therapy with a white therapist because no Black therapists specializing in the area she hoped to focus on were accepting new patients. However, the therapist she did see came highly recommended by both a Black therapist and a Black patient, so Minor was cautiously optimistic.
The Impact of the Pandemic on Mental Health
Unique Needs of Communities of Color
Part of cultural competency is recognizing how different communities of color are affected by mental illness. Many studies have demonstrated how race-related stressors can severely affect mental health. The stigma against mental illness and seeking psychological health in communities of color is real and has a profound effect on whether POCs choose to seek help or not.
Consider that in 2019, one in five people residing in the US experienced a mental illness and one in 20 people experienced a severe mental illness. But when we examine the rate at which different racial groups received treatment, there is a huge gap:
- Asian: 23.3%
- Black or African-American: 32.9%
- Hispanic or Latino: 33.9%
- Non-Hispanic mixed/multiracial: 43.0%
- Non-Hispanic white: 50.3%
Because of each community’s unique needs, therapists of color are in high demand. Jean-Arellia Tolentino, Ph.D., told us that approximately 77% to 80% of her clients or inquiries were from folks expressing interest in working with a Filipino American therapist. “This wasn't quite surprising for me given that seeking and engaging in mental health services within the Filipino community is still highly stigmatized,” said Dr. Tolentino. “Many of the clients have expressed the importance in working with a therapist who is culturally attuned and nuanced, which eliminates much of the client's work to explain or teach the therapist about their identity or culture.” As a result, Dr. Tolentino can use cultural phrases or values during sessions, allowing her to delve deeper.
“Clients have indeed sought me out due to my race because they’re so excited to find an Asian American clinician — even immigrant parents have sought me out — a bigger deal because of the taboo, especially among the immigrant population,” Jeanie Y. Chang, LMFT, CMHIMP, CCTP, told Mom.com. “Much of the mental health challenges and conditions stem from our cultural norms.”
According to Dr. Brooks, because of the unique Black experience in the US, there are some unfortunate “deep-seated issues and beliefs that we carry about ourselves,” she says. “There's a lot of shame surrounding it. Black folks only want to open up about those sorts of things to somebody who looks like them, who they feel won't judge them and will also understand the struggle of being Black in America.”
How to Find Mental Health Resources and Therapists of Color Online
For many patients, finding a therapist of color is a lot of work. But for most, feeling understood by a person of shared background is worth it. “I prefer women of color,” Deborah Cruz, a Latina mother of two, told Mom.com about the therapists she prefers to see. “I want someone who can understand where I’m coming from with the least amount of built-in bias.”
Below are a few resources and sites that may act as a starting point in your search.
Psychology Today
You can go to Psychology Today’s site and search for therapists by state. You can even specify by race like Arabic, Asian, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and LGBTQIA.
National Queer & Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN)
This healing justice organization actively strives to remake mental health for queer and trans POC in North America. NQTTCN has a directory of queer and trans POC mental health practitioners, a fund that can help LGBTQIA POC access mental health, and provides resources.
LGBTQ Psychotherapists of Color (QTOC)
The volunteer-led group of LGBTQIA POC mental health practitioners was formed as a network and support group for POC mental health practitioners, however, they also have a directory of LGBTQIA POC mental health providers and resources for patients.
Inclusive Therapists
This group helps people of all abilities and in all bodies find therapists in a safe, simple way. They also have resources and a directory.
Therapy in Color
This is a Black, Indigenous, and POC therapist directory as well as community to help BIPOC learn and heal together.
The Shrink Space
This service helps connect college students to a Black or Indigenous therapist near their university. While it does cater to students enrolled in university, you can still scroll through their providers and search for a therapist in your area if you are not a student.
Institute for Muslim Mental Health
The mission for this group is to care for the mental health and well-being of Muslim communities and provide a director of Muslim mental health practitioners and resources for their community.
