Comments on: Why Don’t African-Americans go to Therapy?

By: Elle

Elle — Thu, 13 May 2010 05:01:29 +0000

Well, how about the fact that Black families that can afford therapy sometimes want a Black therapist and have a hard time finding one in their area. I am in Orange County and I am having a HELL of a time locating a Black therapist within 20 miles of my home. I don’t want to go to therapy in Inglewood. Is it so bad that I feel that a Black therapist will better understand my fiance and I. Afterall, we’re the race that is struggling the most to keep our families together. I think a Black therapist may understand that and understand how to help.

By: Angie

Angie — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:29:56 +0000

Great article. Helps to highlight the role that therapy can play in the lives of African-American people, and the need for more well-trained African-American therapists to serve our community!

By: Austin

Austin — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:42:23 +0000

Maybe you could look at this in another way. . . maybe some groups of people choose not to share their issues with others outside of what is most comfortable and familiar to them and would rather work out their problems among friends and family instead of going thru an outsider. I realize that there are cases in which severe mental illness would require medical intervention but not every single issue necessarily requires a counseling or therapy session.

By: gamecock96

gamecock96 — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:40:08 +0000

In my experience too I have noticed a hesitation among many African Americans to seek counseling. I just think that in this population there is a stigma still attached to these sorts of things but it is up to all of us to provide everyone with the resources that they need to be successful in life, and if this includes therapy, then we have to find a way to spread the word that it is OK to seek this out.

By: nicolegreene

nicolegreene — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:04:37 +0000

My husband used to work in a largely African American populated community and he and I have spoken in the past about the reticence that many in this population feel about seeking help such as therapy when it is necessary. I think that for him he discovered that many were embarassed about having to seek this type of help and felt that they would be ostracized from their families by doing so. I think we have to do a better job of ducating everyone that receiving therapy hdoes not mean that you are crazy and that it can be just what you need to get back on life’s track to success.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:55:16 +0000

I am not sure where the author is located, but I am located in the deep south of the United States. Many of the stated reasons why black people do not seek therapy are shared by those in the south. I was astounded when I spent a year in Vermont by the sheer number of people who sought help in therapy. Almost everyone I met had a therapist. And, these people all seemed very well adjusted to me. Not only did these people have therapists, they weren’t ashamed to admit it! When I moved back home, I started noticing how uncomfortable people were with the idea of therapy. When I stopped to analyze this, I came to many of the same conclusions as the author. Even being met w/ stereotype is true for southerners. We’re all dumb blonds with cars up on blocks in the yards of our trailer parks, right? I can’t imagine what a southern black person must go through. I guess they have the same scenario minus the blond part, plus a bad weave and a pile of chicken bones on the front porch. Sigh….Anyway, I was struck by the similarities, and the article gave me something new to think about. So, I thank the author!

By: Niel

Niel — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:49:56 +0000

I appreciate both of the previous comments and find truth in them. I have found in my practice that black people do not come in for help as frequently as white people. I am glad to know at least some of the reasons for this discrepancy. Thank you.

By: Darelene

Darelene — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:48:25 +0000

I am a black therapist, and I also appreciate this article. However, I was a little taken aback by two things: first, the author seemed to assume that a black person needs assurance that the therapist will take a black person as he is now rather than as who he was before. Why would that be a problem? Have all black people done something in the past they are ashamed of? Do the only black people who seek therapy have a past to hide? And, I also was intrigued by the author’s need to state that black people need to be able they can afford therapy. Yes, I realize the statistics about the discrepancy in income between black and white people. But, to think that black people need to be reminded that they should check to make sure they can afford something before doing it is a bit insulting to the race.

By: Christie

Christie — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:43:54 +0000

I found this article to be extremely informative and insiteful. As a white therapist, I want everyone to feel welcome in my office, not just those who are like me. So, I am glad to have this insight so that when someone who is different from me comes into my office, I will understand a little of the hesitations he or she may feel.