Finding a therapist of color in smaller Kansas towns can be problematic, so what can BIPOC individuals do when they need to find mental health support? This week, I encountered three separate stories of aggression and ignorance directed toward my clients of color. One incident included teens at camp using their group color and bandanas to create white hoods with holes cut out for eyes. Another included racist and classist remarks in the work environment. One client voiced fear over what will happen to her and her family based on the political polarization in our country and that the opportunities to act on hate will continue to escalate.
These types of daily occurrences leave people of color feeling conflicted, angry, helpless, marginalized, unseen, unheard, and unsafe. These are not isolated incidents, and situations like these contribute to ongoing depression, anxiety, and distress among people of color. Mental Health of America reports that black adults are 20% more likely to report severe psychological distress than white adults (https://www.mhanational.org/bipoc). Daily oppression is not the exception to the rule in the lives of BIPOC individuals.
When facing situations like these, not only is the BIPOC person’s identity under scrutiny but so is his response. In addressing the camp situation, the cabin leader thought the young black man was joking when he risked acknowledging his discomfort with white peers in white hoods. In the workplace, the young woman texted a friend as an outlet to help manage her emotions, but the friend demanded that she address the racist comments. By saying nothing, my client felt complicit and as if she lacked integrity and strength. She could be viewed as angry and overreacting if she chose to say something. Or, by removing herself from the situation, she could be considered too sensitive and weak. With any of those responses, her job may be jeopardized. Both action and inaction cause distress and feelings of helplessness, and the stress of these types of situations takes an ongoing toll on mental health.
A person of color seeking therapy in a predominantly white community brings another type of stress. There is a discrepancy between the number of BIPOC therapists and the BIPOC population, so finding a therapist of color can be difficult, especially in smaller towns. Culturally sensitive therapists participate in ongoing multicultural sensitivity training and do the work to learn about cultural issues without expecting the client to be the spokesperson for all BIPOC people. Cornerstone also recognizes that one can never become completely competent in this area, and is an ongoing learning process. Finding a good fit is essential for anyone looking for a therapist. If you are a person of color, knowing that your therapist can enter your worldview with humility, curiosity, and acceptance is key.
What do I want my clients of color to know?
· I commit to honest self-reflection about what I bring into the therapy room.
· I will work to adjust any positions I hold that are founded on cultural bias.
· I will pay attention to how I respond to my client’s identity, including cultural and racial conditioning, implicit bias, prejudice, trauma, wounds, etc.
· I will intentionally seek training in understanding issues of race
· I will do my best to notice and articulate points of connection and resistance
According to Sanna Powell, a therapist of color (https://sanapowell.com/2019/12/07/i-want-a-therapist-of-color-exploring-the-desire-to-be-understood/), what do my clients of color want me to know as a therapist?
· I want to be fully seen and understood
· Race does matter
· It is not my job to educate you about race
· I can build a solid therapeutic alliance with a white therapist, especially when cultural sensitivity, humility, and open-mindedness help bridge the gap.
It is a privilege to hear our client's stories, and it is imperative to recognize that ethnic and cultural experiences impact how those stories are understood. Ethnicity and color are not taboo topics in the therapy room, and if they are, then you need to find a new therapist. Together, we can bridge the gap to not only provide quality mental health services to BIPOC individuals but also to model seeing and hearing minorities who have been marginalized for far too long.