Finding & Choosing a Black Therapist

Why Finding the Right Therapist Is So Important

Seeking mental health services and support is a brave step and not one to be taken lightly. It is especially important to find a therapist who makes you feel comfortable and who you feel you can trust. Within this therapeutic relationship, empathy and trust are essential. Establishing trust with your therapist is believed to be one of the most important factors contributing to the success of therapy.²

What Is Culturally Competent Therapy?

Culturally competent therapy involves providing mental health care grounded in cultural understanding and awareness of the client’s background. Black therapists, due to their shared lived experiences, often provide deeper insights and empathy for race-related issues.

Why Choose a Black Therapist?

Choosing a Black therapist offers several significant benefits:

• Navigating Mental Health Stigma: Stigma surrounding mental health treatment is prevalent in the Black community. A therapist who understands these stigmas can help clients overcome them more effectively.³
• Reducing Provider Bias: African-Americans are more likely to be misdiagnosed or receive suboptimal treatment. Black therapists can help mitigate these disparities through culturally informed care.⁴
• Understanding Racial Trauma: African-Americans have unique experiences with trauma stemming from systemic racism and discrimination. A culturally competent therapist can provide appropriate support and validation.

Steps to Find the Right Black Therapist

Choosing a therapist is an important decision that impacts your mental health journey. Is having a therapist of the same gender and age important to you? With so many factors to consider, including cost, availability, and compatibility, it’s essential to carefully reflect on your needs.

1. Identify Your Needs & Decide What’s Important to You

Is it important that your therapist shares the same identities as you? Are you comfortable disclosing your feelings and experiences with a therapist that is of a different gender, age, or sexual orientation than you? These things can affect your ability to feel understood, therefore it is important to honestly reflect what matters to you.

Identifying what you can afford, your availability, and personality fit are crucial factors in deciding if a therapist is right for you.

• Therapist Specialty: Depending on your needs, you might seek a therapist specializing in depression, anxiety, self-esteem, addiction, anger management, interpersonal challenges, family and relationship issues, sexuality, or specific treatment modalities like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), or Family Therapy.
• Scheduling: Be flexible when scheduling your therapy sessions, especially the initial appointment. Consider factors like commute, traffic, your availability for uninterrupted sessions, and the therapist’s policies regarding late or missed sessions. When considering scheduling additional sessions, be sure to assess whether the location and availability of the therapist will work for you on a consistent basis.

2. Where to Find a List of Black Therapists

Once you have decided that you want to seek therapy services, you can begin your preliminary search. You can receive a referral for therapy through your primary care physician, insurance company, or friends and family. If those referrals do not pan out, you can also use databases that are curated to link you to therapy services. It may feel overwhelming to sift through profiles, but the good news is, there are comprehensive lists and directories available.

A therapist directory will allow you to search for therapists in your area to meet your unique needs, and you can typically filter your ethnicity preferences.

Below are databases and websites specifically for locating Black therapists in your area:

• Therapy For Black Girls
• Therapy For Black Men
• Ebony’s Black Mental Health Resources
• Hurdle – accepting clients in Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C.
• Melanin and Mental Health
• Health in Her Hue

Open Path Collective is one such database that allows you to search for therapists that provide affordable therapy at prices between $30-$60 per session. You can also filter your ethnicity preferences.

3. Consider Licensing, Certifications, & Education

Mental health professionals come from a variety of backgrounds, each with different education, training, and licensing. Understanding these differences can help you choose the right provider for your needs.

Psychologists (Ph.D. or Psy.D.)

Psychologists hold a doctoral degree in clinical psychology, education, or counseling. They are licensed at the state level and specialize in assessing mental health through clinical interviews and psychological testing. Psychologists can diagnose conditions, provide individual and group therapy, and conduct specialized evaluations, such as personality, intelligence, or neuropsychological testing.

Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW, LISW)

LCSWs and LISWs are master’s-level clinicians (M.S.W.) trained to evaluate mental health, diagnose conditions, and provide therapy, case management, and advocacy services. They are also licensed according to state-specific standards.

Counselors and Therapists (LPC, LMFT, LCADAC)

Counselors and therapists typically hold a master’s degree (M.A. or M.S.) in a mental health-related field. They assess, diagnose, and provide therapy for individuals, couples, families, and groups. Specializations vary: for example, LCADACs focus on substance use and addiction treatment.

Psychiatrists (M.D.)

Psychiatrists are licensed medical doctors who specialize in diagnosing mental health conditions and prescribing medication. They may also provide therapy. Often, psychiatrists work collaboratively with therapists or counselors for a combined approach to care.

4. How to Review a Therapist’s Profile or Website

There is no “one size fits all” approach to a therapist’s profile. Some therapist profiles offer a great deal of information and some do not. Most therapist profiles and websites at the minimum will include their licensing, specialties/populations served, insurances accepted or session rates, and contact information. More extensive profiles might include years in practice, training/certifications, skills and expertise, treatment modalities, and personal philosophy regarding their therapeutic approach.

By having a general idea of what you want to work on in therapy, you will be able to assess if the information on the therapist’s profile reflects your treatment needs. Specifically, you want to look at an area on their profile—either the bio, description, or areas of interest that states their focus.

A therapist’s profile will give a snap-shot of who they are and their areas of specialty. A profile will not tell you whether or not you and the therapist are fully compatible, that is typically felt in the room and during sessions with the therapist. Even if the profile does not include extensive information, or you are unsure if they are “the one,” scheduling a phone consultation is a great way to find out more and assess whether this therapist is a good fit for you.

5. Insurance & Cost Considerations

Therapy costs can vary, with sessions typically ranging from $75 to $150, though some may be as high as $300. Many insurance plans offer mental and behavioral health coverage, paying a portion of therapy costs. To maximize coverage, cross-reference your list of potential therapists with your insurance network to find in-network providers, which usually only require a copay. Copays vary widely, often ranging between $10 and $50 per session.

If a therapist is out-of-network, check with your insurance company to see if reimbursement options are available, which may allow you to recover part of the session cost. You should always call your insurance provider to confirm coverage, copays, deductibles, and any reimbursement details.

Affordable Insurance Options for Those Without Insurance

If you do not have insurance or cannot afford to pay the full session fee, there are other options to explore:

Sliding Scale

Some therapists allow for session fees to be determined based on your income. Ask the therapist if this is something that they offer.

Health Savings Account (HSA)

A healthcare plan in which tax-free interest can be used to pay for medical services. Inquire with your employer to see if you qualify.

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

An account you put money into which allows you to pay for certain out-of-network costs, copays, deductibles and other healthcare services. Inquire with your employer to see if you qualify.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

A work-based intervention program that provides wellness services to employees and their families at no cost. EAPs vary by the specifics of the plan, and may come with a limited number of sessions or treatment services. Inquire with your employer to see if you qualify.

Open Path Psychotherapy Collective

This is a directory of clinicians who offer affordable in-office and online psychotherapy sessions, ranging from $30-$60.

University Counseling Centers

Many educational institutions offer free counseling services. You may also want to look into schools with Master’s level programs in counseling and therapy as an option.

6. Book a Consultation

Most therapists offer free phone consultations which typically can last up to 15 minutes. The goals of the initial phone call serves both you as a potential client and the potential therapist to get to know more about each other. Do not be afraid to interview your therapist.

Some questions for you to find out more about the therapist include:

• Are you accepting new clients? Before you get started, you want to know if this therapist is accepting new clients and if there are any barriers to beginning treatment. If they are not accepting new clients, ask if they can provide you recommendations for colleagues.
• What is your cancellation policy? This is important to know, as cancellation policies vary between therapists. You will want to be aware of what the expectation will be should you schedule an initial session with them.
• Have you worked with someone like me before? You want to know if this therapist has experience treating clients like you to assess whether they will be most appropriate or if you should seek services from someone else.
• What do most of your clients see you for? This is another way to gauge what their typical client demographics are and what their most common specialties are.
• What can I expect from working with you? This allows you to understand both the therapist’s role and your role within the therapeutic process.
• How often will we meet? This allows you to be aware of expectations and also determine if you and the therapist have compatible availability to meet for sessions.
• What does a typical session look like with you? You want to learn more about the structure of sessions. Some therapists give “homework” assignments to work on between sessions, while others don’t. This is helpful in understanding what to expect as you work with this therapist.
• How can I express if something is not working for me? It is especially important to establish feedback within the therapeutic relationship. Therapists work with you to address your treatment goals, so in order for therapy to be beneficial, you must be able to express if interventions, therapy styles, communication, or other factors are not working for you so that you can work together to find solutions.
• What more do you need to know about me to figure out if you are able to help me? This allows you to provide more information to the therapist and learn more about what to expect from the initial session.

7. Evaluate Compatibility

Therapy is an investment, so it is critical that you feel comfortable, heard, and respected within the therapeutic relationship, otherwise it will not work. Personality can play a major role in the therapy process as everyone reacts and responds differently to certain personality types. It is important for you to self-reflect while looking for a therapist. Assess what factors are most important for you, what personality styles work for you, and what might get in your way.

Do you respond well to assertiveness and directness, or does that feel harsh and intimidating to you? It is also important to recognize if a therapist is calling your attention to a pattern that they notice, it is not to judge or blame you, but it is an opportunity to gain more insight and awareness. Will it be best to have a therapist that is more passive and allows you to direct the sessions? Understand that a therapist’s role is not static; in some sessions, they may be more direct and in other sessions they take a step back and allow you to vent your feelings freely without interruption.

What to Consider During Your First Appointment

The goals of the first session follow up from the consultation. The therapist will be focused on learning more about what brings you to therapy and understanding more about you and your experiences. During this session, expect that the therapist will conduct some form of an assessment consisting of questions exploring your current circumstances, medical conditions, past treatment history, family dynamics, intimate relationships, lived experiences and stress responses.

You should check-in with yourself during and after the initial session. Consider how you felt in the moment while you were sharing details of your life:

• Did you feel safe?
• Did you feel heard?
• Did you feel respected?
• Did you feel that the therapist showed empathy and understanding?
• Did you feel that the therapist’s verbal and non-verbal communication was comforting to you?
• Did you feel that the therapist allowed you enough time to share without feeling cut off or rushed?

Self-assessment will help you evaluate from the beginning if comfortability was established with the therapist. The first session alone may not be enough to determine if this therapist is a perfect fit, but you can recognize if initial factors such as empathy, trust, and safety are present.

What to Consider After 3-4 Sessions

In the beginning stages, your therapist will be focused on building rapport with you, continuing to learn more about the way that you function, and helping you identify areas to focus on. It is helpful to understand that progress is not immediate and it may take time for changes to occur.

If after 3-4 sessions, you notice that you do not feel comfortable with your therapist, you cannot connect with them, you do not understand their feedback or guidance, your goals are chosen for you without your input, your boundaries are not respected, or you are not allowed opportunities to ask questions or clarify information, then you will want to consider if this relationship is a good fit. If not, it is perfectly valid to terminate sessions with this therapist.

Finding a therapist is like dating; someone can look good on paper, but while you are on a date with them, you realize it just isn’t a good fit and you continue your search until you find the right one for you.

What to Do If You Can’t Find a Black Therapist

If you cannot find a Black therapist in your area, you may want to consider searching for telehealth providers. Some telehealth therapists are out-of-state providers, meaning they can offer services in states where they do not reside, as long as they are licensed to work in your state. You can check to see if any recommended therapists on the databases above are able to provide out-of-state services.

Additionally, online therapy platforms such as BetterHelp or Talkspace may offer broader access to licensed Black therapists who provide remote counseling.

Questions to Ask a Non-Black Therapist

You may also consider working with a therapist that is not Black, but displays cultural competence and training in anti-racism work. You can evaluate if a non-Black therapist will be right for you by asking these additional questions:

• What work have you done to acknowledge your privilege?
• Are you a member of any anti-racist or culturally competent organizations?
• What cultural competence and anti-racism training have you received?
• How will you recognize if our differences become a barrier in providing me treatment?