Home                        About AfricanAmericanTherapists.com

• Why We Formed This Website
• Black Clients Represent a Disproportionately Large Percentage of Psychotherapy Clients
• Let's Take the Commercialism Out of Therapy
• African American Therapists Report Difficulty  Getting on Referral Lists

• Black Clients Bemoan the Apparent Lack of Black Therapists

This website exists:                                                                                   
1. To connect black men and women who are ready to make changes in their lives with brothers and sisters who are trained to help them. Black clients in the midst of a crisis often find that it takes months for them to locate a black therapist.  Often they're told there are none.                                                                            
2. To help black therapists across the country bring their skills together with their special understanding of the needs of other blacks in order to help all of us succeed. We know full well the incredible barriers to success that confront us as individuals. The more we work together, the better our ability to educate each other and develop strategies to reduce the impact of the commercial culture on sane living. A good black therapist will "pull your coat" to everyday changes you can make that will reduce your depression, turn you on to natural & alternative approaches to solutions, and give you the real deal when they hear you're about to fall for a player, again.

Black Clients Represent a Disproportionately Large Percentage of Psychotherapy Clients
Racism, sexual and economic exploitation, violence, addiction, diet and a legacy of bi-cultural factors cause the rates of depression to be 50% higher among African American women than it is in white women. It is thought that blacks, 11-12% of the population, comprise nearly 25%, one-quarter, of the recipients of mental health services in the United States. Racism is not just obvious exclusion or loudly spoken slurs. It is perhaps most disabling when in its subtle forms in education, healthcare or economic policies. It is difficult to challenge fabricated stereotypes which are so pervasive that they are overwhelming. Racism is a mental health problem, both for the perpetrators and the victims. Like emotional domestic abuse, it often lies in the tone of voice, in spoken assumptions and/or in taking advantage of privilege.

The media of our American culture that present images of blacks as irresponsible, nonproductive burdens on the system or as oversexed, indiscriminate hoodlums serves to erode the self-esteem of our people. Many of our children, especially those who live in areas where they are in the minority, assume that the negative images portrayed actually do represent the majority of their kind. As destructive as it is to us, the assumptions of white neighbors and the resulting ways in which they regard us, result in further psychological damage. Whether it's in job offerings or grades, medical treatment or retail service, so many of us are insulted on a daily basis and that alters how we feel. The fact that we can't challenge it without suffering further fuels depression, which can be defined as anger turned against the self.

Let's Take the Commercialism out of Treatment

We have to seek medical care with a wizened eye in this New Age. Medical ethics and morals have changed. When seeking any form of medical care you cannot assume that all medical providers share your value system. What is "common sense" to one person may not represent the customary beliefs of another person. No harm may be meant by a provider who only knows his or her way of thinking.

Increasing mental health and medical needs, in a shrinking economy, may cause employers  to attempt to save money on their health plans by sending unaware employees to therapists who will charge a lower fee and perhaps provide more limited or generic treatment.

Health plans may have primary care providers prescribing medication to patients who would improve quickly with talk therapy and/or a change in diet. What difference does it make? Your liver. For the best outcome, you want the best treatment.

You should not feel uncomfortable requesting a black provider. Many state mental health guidelines mandate that minority clients be provided with minority therapists if they request it. Studies show that black clients are more successful in completing therapy when matched with a black therapist.  Elements of privilege & differences in beliefs, often invisible to majority therapists, leave clients frustrated and silent. Despite good intentions, many majority therapists simply don't understand the nuances of language and the role of  spirituality essential to establishing a healing reality.

African American therapists are often not found on majority referral lists

In forming the directory, we heard from therapists that they feel discouraged from getting on insurance provider panels. Others were driven out of practice by low & slow payments, infrequent referrals and questionable treatment recommendations.

Most Gatekeepers Send New Clients to Their Colleagues
Many referral professionals (Employee assistance professionals, health plans, schools, etc) send clients to providers they went to school with, carpool with, or otherwise know.

Black Clients Bemoan the Apparent Lack of Black Therapists
Many blacks feel uncomfortable asking for help anyway. They make themselves vulnerable to being judged "paranoid" or "overreacting" when they reveal their real thoughts about why they can't seem to get a promotion or why they fear their son is more vulnerable to being picked up by the police. Those who live or work in black communities, know that  these occurrences happen on a regular basis. They are real, and stressful.

Studies show that nuances of class often get blurred by predominant racial perceptions. While finding a black therapist won't assure you of a perfect therapeutic relationship, research shows that it is a major factor determining whether you continue therapy after the first session.

So there you have it - the good, the bad and the ugly - but the truth. Welcome. We're glad to see you, too!   Back to top

Are you a white therapist who feels challenged by these statements? Would you feel it appropriate for a client to ask for a therapist of the same gender, or age bracket or language? While we know that healing the mind of America will require a multicultural alliance, we also know that we first have to heal among ourselves and then extend that understanding outward to our entire human family.

Are you a black therapist interested in joining our network?  Welcome, sister or brother!  Click here