REFINERY 29 Story From Mental Health Awareness
Right now, access to mental health care for people of color is especially critical. Black people have been watching as a disproportionate number of their loved ones die from the coronavirus pandemic. They’ve watched people who look like them be violently killed or threatened — for nothing more than being Black in public.
Finding a psychologist or mental health worker is difficult for many people. Your health insurance may not cover it. There may be no counselors near you. And Black people face another challenge: In the United States, just 5.3% of psychologists are Black; 83.6% are white. That means that if you’re a person of color searching for a therapist or any other kind of mental health resource, it might be difficult to connect with someone who looks like you.
Right now, access to mental health care for people of color is especially critical. Black people have been watching as a disproportionate number of their loved ones die from the coronavirus pandemic. They’ve watched people who look like them be violently killed or threatened — for nothing more than being Black in public.
Finding a psychologist or mental health worker is difficult for many people. Your health insurance may not cover it. There may be no counselors near you. And Black people face another challenge: In the United States, just 5.3% of psychologists are Black; 83.6% are white. That means that if you’re a person of color searching for a therapist or any other kind of mental health resource, it might be difficult to connect with someone who looks like you.
That’s a problem, since having a therapist of the same race or ethnic background as oneself tends to provide a better “understanding and acceptance of therapeutic interventions and perceived benefit of therapy,” reported a 2006 study from the American Psychological Association. In other words, it makes mental health care more effective.
The organizations below offer a variety of mental health services specifically for people of color. Some make it easier to find a therapist of color; others offer access to communities focused on different aspects of mental wellness; others provide yoga or meditation classes led by Black practitioners. Use them, share them, support them as they do their critically important work.
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