Finding an African-American therapist is tricky for the black community. This is due to the low number of black therapists, only 4.0% of the demographic. Despite the low number, having a African-American therapist is crucial for the black community because your mental health and physical health are equally important. They are also connected to one another. Depression linked to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and respiratory disease.
The Benefits of An African-American Therapist
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Heal from the Trauma of Racism
Racism and oppression can cause psychological wounds that affect your mental health and well-being. Working with an African-American therapist can help you heal from these wounds. This recovery is done by validating your emotions, acknowledging your pain, and giving you a safe way to feel understood.
An African-American therapist can also help you process your trauma in healthy ways. You can learn relaxation techniques, mindfulness practices, or coping skills through personal therapy sessions. You will unlock new strengths and develop resilience to overcome your challenges.
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Help Celebrate Your Identity
Identity and culture are important aspects of who you are and how you see yourself. An expert African-American therapist can help you better embrace these elements about yourself. These factors are often disregarded, like how certain hairstyles are deemed unprofessional in the workplace.
An African-American therapist can reaffirm your identity and restore your sense of self. This type of affirmation helps you to embrace your uniqueness in a world that undermines them. The personal sessions may also explore your roots, family history, traditions, and spiritual beliefs.
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Provide Guidance for Achieving your Goals
Goals and dreams motivate your activities throughout the day. Your productivity will dwindle when discrimination, social pressure, and other setbacks weaken this drive.
In this case, visiting a fellow African American for therapy may solve your problem. This professional can reignite your passion, motivating you to pursue your dreams and interests.
The private sessions will involve overcoming the barriers and obstacles hindering your progress. These obstacles holding your motivation back often include impostor syndrome, self-doubt, societal expectations, discrimination, etc.
They can help you develop skills and strategies to succeed personally and professionally, such as by helping you set SMART goals, manage your time, or network with others.
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Facilitate Relationship Building
Relationships are a well of abundance from where you draw support and love daily and in tough times. However, building healthy and long-lasting relationships is tricky, but a African-American therapist can provide practical tips like how to communicate effectively and assertively with others.
The therapy sessions will also show you how to set boundaries while respecting others, such as by teaching you how to say no, ask for assistance when needed, or deal with conflict effectively.
These expert recommendations are also applicable to fostering trust and intimacy with your partner and your family, friends, and colleagues. In the end, you’ll be able to express your feelings, listen empathically, or show appreciation, which can be difficult growing up in a tough environment.
Bonus: Therapy Is Not A Weakness
There’s a Stigma in the black community concerning therapy, as many view going for these sessions as a sign of weakness. Reports show that most African Americans view mental health patients as people with a low tolerance to struggle while having little to no faith.
This perception has produced two results: black people either become skillful at minimizing and disguising their problems or suffer through the pain not to be seen as weak. This idea results in black people being the second most depressed demographic after Hispanics.
It’s important to emphasize that therapy isn’t a weakness but a sign of strength and courage. Knowing when you’ve exhausted your current capacity and need support to keep going takes wisdom and resilience.
Therapy is support, offering guidance, insight, and coping skills to handle emotional issues and motivation towards your goals. It’s a valuable resource that should be embraced and not pushed aside in shame.
We Can Help!
Ultimately, visiting an African-American therapist ensures that your problems and struggles are heard by someone who understands and relates to them. This factor greatly affects the recommendations they give to navigate these problems better.
If you need a competent and reliable African-American therapist, contact Aspire Counseling today. We provide professional assistance for teens, married couples, eating disorders, and many more.
