Thinking about starting therapy? It can feel like a lot. Between all the different approaches, buzzwords, and therapist bios, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
But here’s the truth: therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all — especially if you’re part of a marginalized or historically overlooked community.
While many therapists address the same conditions or challenges, each one brings their own unique personality and specializations to the sessions. It’s important to have trial sessions with a few different people until you find a good match.
For folks in the BIPOC community, therapy comes with an extra layer. Sure, we’re all looking for someone skilled. But many of us are also looking for someone who gets it — who understands the impact of cultural upbringing, generational patterns, microaggressions, and yes, even the unique ways anxiety shows up in our bodies and our lives.
That’s where culturally responsible therapy comes in.
It Honors Where You Come From
Mental health isn’t talked about the same way in every culture. Some of us were taught to “pray it away.” Some of us were raised to keep family business private. And many of us didn’t grow up seeing therapy as an option at all.
A culturally responsible therapist understands that. They know how culture, upbringing, and community shape your beliefs, stress levels, and how you show up in the world. They won’t make assumptions or try to fit you into a generic therapy model. Instead, they’ll meet you where you are — and build from there.
It Makes Space for the Full You
Anxiety doesn’t just live in the mind. It shows up in your shoulders, your stomach, your sleep. And for folks of color, it’s often layered with the stress of navigating predominantly white spaces, code-switching, racial trauma, or the pressure to always be “strong.”
A culturally aware therapist will take all of that into account. They’ll adjust their approach based on your lived experience — whether that means centering spirituality, exploring ancestral patterns, or simply holding space for how hard it is to just be sometimes.
It Builds Real Trust
There’s something powerful about being in a space where you don’t have to explain everything — where your identity is seen as a strength, not a barrier.
That’s the beauty of culturally responsible therapy. It fosters trust, because it allows you to bring your full self into the room — your slang, your silence, your sarcasm, your softness. You don’t have to shrink, edit, or over-explain.
Sometimes, it even shows up in the little things: a waiting room that reflects your culture, forms that use inclusive language, or a therapist who knows what it means when you say, “I’m tired — like, soul tired.”
It Doesn’t Ignore Systemic Stress
Let’s be real: it’s not just about coping skills. Therapy that’s truly for us also acknowledges the impact of systemic oppression. Whether it’s racism at work, colorism in relationships, or the anxiety that builds just from scrolling the news — culturally responsible therapy holds space for all of it.
And sometimes, healing looks like building the confidence to speak up, set boundaries, or advocate for yourself in systems not built with you in mind.
Getting Started
You deserve therapy that doesn’t ask you to leave parts of yourself at the door.
If you’ve been thinking about starting therapy but want someone who really sees the whole you — culture, community, and all — working with a black therapist can make all the difference.
Healing doesn’t have to look like what you’ve seen on TV. It can look like rest, laughter, crying, unlearning, reparenting, and slowly remembering that you’re worthy of peace. When you’re ready, reach out to me to get started on your path to healing.