Therapy Specifically for BIPOC Adults in New York City

YOUR LIVED EXPERIENCES ARE UNIQUE, AND YOUR THERAPIST SHOULD BE, TOO.

WORK WITH DIVERSE, CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE, ANTI-RACIST THERAPISTS WHO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT DOESN’T ALWAYS GET SAID.

BEYOND "TOUGHEN UP:” ANXIETY, ISOLATION, AND THE NEED FOR CULTURALLY COMPETENT THERAPY

BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) folks face a number of specific challenges when seeking therapy, which can create barriers to accessing mental health care. Some of these barriers might include:

• Stigma and cultural attitudes: Mental health issues may be more stigmatized in some BIPOC communities, leading to feelings of shame, fear of judgment, and a reluctance to seek help. Everyone wants to feel understood for who they are.

• Lack of access to culturally competent therapists: Finding a therapist who understands the specific experiences and cultural background of BIPOC individuals can be difficult. How can you be sure that a therapist who can’t demonstrate their cultural competence will be able to relate to the unique challenges you face?

• Language barriers: Whether or not English is your first language, limited access to therapists who speak the same language as you and your family can feel like a significant barrier.

• Historical mistrust of the medical system: Past experiences of racism and discrimination within the healthcare system can lead you to distrust therapy or mental health professionals.

• Limited representation in therapy materials: The lack of BIPOC representation in medical research could make you feel less welcome in therapy.

These challenges can all contribute to a lower rate of help-seeking among BIPOC individuals, despite the fact that they may experience mental health conditions at similar or even higher rates than the general population.

These are some of the things we’ve heard from our clients:

• "I feel anxious a lot, but sometimes it's hard to tell if it's just 'normal stress' or something more because mental health isn't really talked about in my community."

• "I feel down a lot, but I don't know if it's depression or if it's just the pressure of dealing with racism, discrimination, and microaggressions on top of everything else."

• "I feel like my friends and family wouldn't understand what I'm going through. They’ll probably just tell me to 'toughen up.'"

• "I've considered therapy before, but I'm worried about finding a therapist who understands my background."

• "I feel like I'm always carrying this weight on my shoulders, like I can’t complain because I’ve been given these opportunities that no one else in my family has."

• "Sometimes I feel like I'm stuck between two worlds, not fitting in perfectly anywhere, and that makes me feel even more isolated."

• "I wish I could talk to a therapist who understands the challenges faced by people who look like me in this country."

• "I'm hoping to find someone who can help me deal with my anxiety and depression, but also understands the context of my life experiences."

Your therapist can work with you to:

• Develop tools to manage anxiety effectively by identifying the signs of anxiety and creating coping mechanisms to calm yourself down. It won't eliminate all stress, but you'll be better equipped to handle it.

• Learn to differentiate between sadness and depression, and develop tools to manage depression by gaining a better understanding of your emotions and how to deal with them effectively.

• Become comfortable discussing your concerns, knowing your therapist can relate to your unique perspective.

• Improve your communication skills, navigate these complex feelings, and set healthy boundaries with others.

• Develop a stronger sense of identity and belonging, become more comfortable in your own skin, and find ways to connect with people who understand you.

• Regain motivation and energy for the things you love, reducing that "on edge" feeling throughout the day.

• Start to build stronger relationships by first understanding yourself better, and then improving your communication with those around you as a result.

You can start to feel calmer and more in control, develop tools to manage anxiety and depression, and navigate life's challenges with ease.

We pride ourselves on diversity within our staff in every area, from gender, age, religion, race, ethnicity, and languages spoken to therapeutic styles, approaches, and modalities. Looking for a Spanish speaking male therapist who focuses on trauma? We’ve got you. Looking for a therapist who does deep trauma work with interpersonal violence survivors? We’ve got that, too. How about a female therapist who understands what it’s like being a highly educated woman of color in a patriarchal society? Yeah, we’ve got that.

Our therapists speak multiple languages, come from various ethnic and religious backgrounds, and are members of different generations. No matter what your specific identity is, there is someone here who inherently understands what your lived experience feels like, and can combine that knowledge with their clinical expertise to design the perfect individualized treatment plan for you.

We believe in matching the right therapist with the right client, which is why we prioritize the perfect fit above everything else. By working with our therapists, you can begin to feel more understood, learn to communicate your needs more clearly, and create happier, healthier connections with the people you care about. You'll gain tools to manage conflict, express yourself openly, and build stronger bonds, ultimately leading to a more fulfilling life. We approach our work through a culturally competent, culturally responsive, and anti-racist lens. We are an intersectional and feminist practice.

Kimberlé Crenshaw, an American law professor who coined the term in 1989, defines intersectionality as “a prism for seeing the way in which various forms of inequality often operate together and exacerbate each other.” In other words, our gender, race, culture, ethnicity, religion, able-bodiedness, and various other factors interplay within the systems in which we operate, and we must address all of them as they interact. We must consider all factors that impact the systems in which we operate.

WE ARE ALWAYS STRIVING TO LEARN AND PROVIDE THE BEST AFFIRMING CARE POSSIBLE.

We are always learning as both practitioners and supervisors, and we encourage our clients to pursue frank and open discussions with their therapist about how race, culture, gender, sexuality, and any other identity markers will show up in the room during your work together.