DOES RACE PLAY A ROLE IN THERAPY

Often times, people of color (specifically African Americans, Caribbeans, Haitians, Africans and Hispanics) become a little skeptical when seeking mental health counseling with licensed professionals who are white. The biggest concern is not knowing if the white therapist can relate to their struggles, challenges or life experiences. When they finally take a step to seek professional counseling, they quickly find out that the selection of therapist of color is at a minimum.

Most of the time, they are left to choose from a big pool of white, older therapist who may or may not share their experience. Finding the right therapist is important. It is important to feel you can effectively and honestly communicate with your therapist. Just because a therapist shares your race or culture, it doesn’t mean that he or she is the right fit for you. I would love to see more therapist of color in private practice and, until that happens, people have to work with what’s available.

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