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 within their unique racial identity.

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?

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. Working with a BIPOC therapist who understands your culture is important in feeling a strong therapeutic alliance.

Past experiences of racial trauma, systemic oppression, and discrimination within the healthcare system can lead you to distrust therapy or mental health professionals.

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

As a bilingual Latina immigrant from Venezuela, Johanna brings lived experience to her work with BIPOC communities. She understands the unique cultural, emotional, and systemic challenges faced by immigrants and people of color, offering therapy in both Spanish and English to create healing spaces where you feel truly seen and valued.

• Credentials: Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)

• Education: Columbia University (MSW); University of Central Florida (BA)

• Specialties: Immigration challenges, cultural identity, systemic barriers, bilingual therapy, BIPOC mental health

• Modalities Used: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, grounding techniques, trauma-informed therapy

...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. Want a therapist who does deep trauma work with interpersonal and domestic 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. 

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.

...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.

A: Our practice offers virtual therapy to help people across New York City and throughout New York state. We believe in matching the right therapist with the right client, which is why we prioritize the perfect fit above everything else. If you have a consultation with a BIPOC therapist at our practice and it isn't the right match, we have plenty more therapists who identify with various cultures, identities, and origins to match you with. When you work with us, you will begin to feel more understood, learn to communicate your needs more clearly, and create happier, healthier connections with the people you care about. Our therapists are highly skilled at listening to a bunch of jumbled thoughts and pulling out the common threads, important insights, and areas to focus on first. You don’t have to come in with anything more concrete than a desire to feel better. We’ll work with you on the rest.

A: ¡Claro que sí! Contamos con varios terapeutas de diferentes géneros que pueden realizar sesiones en español. Incluso si prefiere continuar la terapia en inglés, su terapeuta comprenderá de manera innata algunas de las referencias culturales que haga y las expectativas subconscientes que su familia y comunidad le hayan inculcado.

Yes we do! We have multiple therapists, of different genders, who can conduct sessions in Spanish. Even if you still want to conduct therapy in English, your therapist will innately understand some of the cultural references you make and subconscious expectations placed on you by your family and community.

A: Your therapist is highly skilled at listening to a bunch of jumbled thoughts and pulling out the common threads, important insights, and areas to focus on first. You don’t have to come in with anything more concrete than a desire to feel better. We’ll work with you on the rest, through a culturally responsive lens that recognizes intergenerational expectations or the messaging that you should place the community’s greater good over your own individual needs.

A: Being anti-racist means that your therapist is adept at recognizing their own biases, stigmas, or assumptions. While they are highly trained, they are also humans, and recognize that no one could ever be free of all subconscious judgments. Your therapist values your honesty as a tool for their own professional growth, so if there’s ever anything your therapist does or says that rubs you the wrong way, their job is to recognize that, hear it, and fix it going forward. Know better, do better, be better.

Each session is 45-55 minutes long, depending on frequency and other factors you will discuss with your therapist during your intake. Many people find that their insurance companies cover part of their out of pocket fees, sometimes up to 100% depending on the benefits. Therapy costs are an investment in your physical, mental, and emotional health, and investing in this now will help you reap benefits that last long beyond your sessions!

We are in network with all New York State Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Empire, Optum, Oscar, and United Health plans, and approved out of network providers for all other commercial healthcare plans. We are also in network with Aetna EAP and Spring Health EAP plans.