Affirming Care for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
Being a member of a community that is racialized and politicized can be exhausting and stressful. This can show up as stomach or back pains, headaches, isolation, crying, anger, so many ways. BIPOC have been misused, abused, and marginalized by most sectors in the US including the medical sector. Ideally, this would be acknowledged fully and truth and reconciliation would be open and transparent. Unfortunately, we are not there.
BIPOC are 71.3% of Santa Clara County and 76.7% of San Jose. 70% of our clients are BIPOC, and there is no significant difference in how long a BIPOC client works with us when compared to white clients. We continue to work to remove individual and systematic barriers to BIPOC being able to access therapy.
What we attempt every day to do is provide a space for my clients who are people of color to express their full selves. This includes processing of all types of oppression (overt, covert racism, microaggressions, etc.) how the oppression looks can depend on a multitude of identities. Only if that is the topic that you would like to focus on.
Of course racism including not limited to minority stress, stereotype threat, dealing with model minority standards; is not the only thing people of color have to have to handle. Many diagnoses have shown significant differences in the expression of mental health diagnoses to a variety of communities. (Cross-Cultural Aspects of Anxiety, 2014; Black people & Depression, 2018; Asian, Latino communities & Anxiety, 2011; Ethnic Differences after Hurricane Andrew, 2002 ). It is critical to acknowledge and apply this information in the therapeutic space. Below are some great resources. It is critical to find a therapist that you trust and connect with. We welcome you to also reach out and connect.
Additional/ Alternative Resources
National Queer and Trans* Therapists of Color
LGBTQ+ Therapists of Color- Bay Area
