If you鈥檙e seeking out therapy services anytime in the near future, chances are that the person you find will be white.
According to the , 64% of the social worker labor force is white, as are 70% of licensed practical counselors and marriage and family therapists.
While a therapist doesn't need to match a client鈥檚 cultural identity to be a good fit, the desire to find someone who understands the racial and cultural nuances in mental health has led to a surge in folks of color seeking out therapists who share a similar background. Therapists of color, in turn, are working to increase awareness of and access to mental health services among BIPOC communities, while fighting burnout and structural barriers to getting into therapy work.
Host Anita Rao meets two therapists of color who are doing this work. , a psychotherapist and the founder of , talks about approaching wellness from a more collectivist lens. Sahaj is also the author of 鈥溾��
Anita also talks with , who shares how he helps clients build tools for resilience in the face of systemic oppression. Jor-El is the co-founder of and the author of 鈥�.鈥�
Special thanks to Lisa R. Savage, Erinn Scott, Melody Li and Susan Chung for contributing to this weeks鈥� episode. We appreciate you!
