How to Find a Black Therapist in New York City
Finding the best therapist in New York City who understands your cultural background can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Of course, your primary goal is to work with a highly qualified therapist who excels at providing transformative mental health care. But you also want someone who gets where you’re coming from, speaks your language, and can provide a safe space for you to be open and vulnerable without wondering if you’re being silently judged or perpetuating a racial stereotype. In short, you need someone who gets it.
At Healthy Minds NYC, we understand your ethnic and cultural background.
We believe you deserve care that is contextualized to your background and accounts for the particular challenges you may face as a Black professional living and working in New York City. In this blog, we aim to reduce the stress you may face searching for a Black therapist by sharing our experience as Black mental health professionals, exploring the importance of working with a Black mental health professional, and outlining strategies to find the best therapist or psychiatrist to support you.
Keep in mind our Care Coordinator is always available to personally help you get started with therapy in New York City. We want to listen to your needs and honor your specific concerns for care. Click below to reach out to our office for a free consultation anytime and we will navigate the challenges of booking your first therapy session for you.
Why Working with A Black Therapist in NYC Matters
At Healthy Minds NYC, we believe you’re not asking for too much.
Providing culturally competent care is one of the reasons why our Director and Board-Certified Psychiatrist, Dr. Lanre Dokun, started this therapy practice. As a Black psychiatrist with an Ivy League background, he regularly encountered other Black professionals in the city whose mental health was the barrier keeping them from thriving in New York. Unfortunately, these same individuals were hesitant to seek out therapy because few private practices in the city are staffed with professionals who understand the specific cultural challenges and opportunities faced by Black therapy clients.
A recent study reported that 4.8 million Black or African Americans have a mental health illness. This represents no greater frequency of mental health conditions in Black Americans than those of other races. However, according to the American Psychological Association, only 3% of psychologists are Black. The scarcity of Black mental health care providers makes it challenging for the BIPOC community to find therapists and psychiatrists who share their ethnic backgrounds.
Does Race or Ethnicity Matter When Searching for a New Therapist?
The answer might surprise you.
Feeling understood and validated by your therapist is a powerful experience, no matter what your background is. The therapeutic alliance is a key ingredient in the outcome of your treatment. For many individuals, especially those from marginalized communities, race or ethnicity can play a crucial role in the quality of the therapeutic relationship. Studies have shown that therapeutic treatment can be more effective when clients feel their therapist values culture. While your psychiatrist or therapist does not have to share your race, they do need to demonstrate familiarity with your ethnic background. Cultural competence matters.
What is Cultural Competence?
Cultural competence refers to a therapist’s ability to understand, respect, and integrate a client’s cultural background into the therapeutic process. A culturally competent psychiatrist or therapist is aware of their own cultural biases and knows how to work effectively with clients from different backgrounds. A private practice with a diverse care team is an essential indicator that different cultures are honored and an important signal that you will be in a safe environment, ready to explore the intricacies of your background without judgment.
This is one of the reasons why a diverse therapy practice like Healthy Minds NYC is so invaluable. We place a high value on diversity, with over 60% of our clinicians identifying as Black or Hispanic–six times the national average. In a culturally rich city like New York, we are committed to ensuring quality care is available to people of all ethnic backgrounds so we can empower all New Yorkers to live, work, and play better in the city.
How to Find a Black Therapist in New York City
If you’re beginning your search for a black therapist, here are some ways to get started. First, we’ll share how we can help at Healthy Minds NYC and we’ll offer some strategies you might use for any therapy practice in New York City and beyond.
At Healthy Minds NYC, we understand that finding a therapist who fits specific criteria can be challenging. All New Yorkers have to contend with the limitations of therapist availability and cost to begin mental health care. To help you overcome these hurdles, our practice offers a free consultation call to fast-track your search by pairing you with the right therapist on our team. During this call, you can also explore questions about your therapist’s training, style, or experience with certain mental health conditions.
Whether you’re looking for a therapist at Healthy Minds NYC or another New York City therapy practice, here are some ways to find the best therapist for your needs:
1.) Research and Get Referrals for Skilled Therapists in New York
Above all else, your therapist or psychiatrist must excel at their craft. Ask friends, family, and community organizations for referrals to therapists who deliver transformation. A good therapist or psychiatrist needs the training and experience to get powerful results so you’re not wasting your time and money. When looking for a new therapist, explore the clinicians' backgrounds.
At Healthy Minds NYC we love broadcasting the excellence of our therapy team. For example, April Grigsby, a licensed clinical social worker at Healthy Minds NYC, studied at Yale University. Dr. Travis Meadows is a board-certified psychiatrist who won the Teacher of the Year Award for his work with medical students at Mount Sinai Hospital. Our Co-Founder, Author, and Relationship Expert, Chanel Dokun, is often sought out by top media to provide mental health guidance.
Our practice is home to some of the most competent therapists in our city. We are grateful for their extensive training in various modalities to support our clients best.
2.) Interview Potential Therapists through a Cultural Competency Lens
Clinicians from all backgrounds can be quite effective in helping you resolve your mental health struggles. However, based on your particular needs, you might want to consider these questions about culture as you seek out your next therapist:
Does the therapist demonstrate cultural competence?
Regardless of their ethnic background, consider whether your therapist can understand the unique challenges and opportunities you may face based on your cultural identification. Are they aware of the historical sociocultural and socioeconomic issues facing your ethnic group? Look for key indicators on the practice website imagery and in communication with their administrative team to see how savvy they appear to be in understanding your culture.
Will the ethnic background of your therapist impact your ability to be open in therapy?
Consider the degree to which you may or may not be triggered by the ethnic background of your therapist based on the issues you’re presenting in care. Psychotherapists are highly aware that some level of transference is always present in the course of care with a client. In other words, a client may inadvertently draw comparisons between their therapist and other individuals in their lives or past experiences they’ve encountered. This is normal and a qualified therapist can work with a client to navigate these comparisons so they are used for the client’s benefit or growth rather than an impairment to care.
Is the therapist experienced in treating individuals who share your background?
Knowledge is based on information, but wisdom comes from experience. In the same way you would hope your surgeon has treated other patients with your condition before working with you, it’s beneficial if your therapist has experience caring for other patients who share your demographic profile. While each person is different and deserves to be treated individually, determine if the therapist can leverage wisdom gleaned from helping similar clients.
“April’s level of insight, theory of mind and emotional intelligence is uncommon and undoubtedly the reason why she is such a darn good therapist. If you are prepared to analyze the layers of your past and work towards healing, I would highly recommend April.”
3.) Discover Affordable Therapy and Medication Management in New York City
Understanding how to best invest in mental health care may be a new experience when starting therapy for the first time. Questions may arise for first-time therapy goers, such as how to use medical insurance benefits with an out-of-network provider or budget for care (like weekly sessions or monthly medication management). Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Weekly therapy can be a great investment, especially when the return is an optimized life in multiple areas.
If you hope to work with a Healthy Minds NYC therapist, you can share your insurance information and therapy preferences with our Care Coordinator before booking your first session. We will give you the exact cost of therapy, coaching, or medication management before you begin so you understand insurance and rates.
Excellent mental health care is priceless. Don’t let uncertainty around costs keep you from receiving life-changing support.
4.) Factor in Your Schedule to Find a Therapist
Availability can be a barrier to care. At Healthy Minds NYC, many clients are high-performing, busy professionals. We know firsthand the challenges clients face trying to get scheduled with a therapist around their dynamic lifestyle in New York City.
Remember that most therapy practices in New York offer evening and weekend sessions outside of business hours so you can continue to work while also receiving weekly care. Many therapists and psychiatrists offer virtual sessions, so you can schedule sessions anytime from the comfort of your home or office. Ask about virtual therapy or telepsychiatry sessions to make therapy or medication management feasible for your lifestyle.
5.) Get Assistance Finding a Black Psychiatrist or Therapist in New York
You don’t have to continue searching for a Black mental health professional alone. Some online directories like Psychology Today allow you to search by demographic to find the kind of therapist you desire. The American Psychological Association is also a great resource to search for features on mental health and racism that might provide helpful education and direction for you.
To stop searching and start therapy today, you can also schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation with our Care Coordinator at Healthy Minds NYC. We would love to listen and pair you with the best therapist or psychiatrist today. Let us serve as your personal mental health concierge to start therapy now.
If you want to get started, you can visit our Free Consultation page to schedule your complimentary call.
