Every new generation of Black women faces different challenges (or sometimes the same issues wrapped in new packages), which affect their mental health. However, according to studies conducted by the Columbia University Department Of Psychiatry, only one in every three Black women receives the needed help.
This stems from the long and tired cultural stigma/familial shame surrounding Black mental health or therapy, the high cost of care and lack of diverse practitioners who understand their issues, distrust of the medical industry, and negative past experiences.
Thanks to global mental health and wellness awareness and its de-stigmatization in the Black community in recent years though, many Black women and men are actively looking to better their mental health. Various Black mental health organizations and initiatives have also taken on the mandate of creating resources specifically suited to the mental wellness of the Black community.
So, if you’ve been struggling with depression, anxiety, ADHD, or every other form of mental health issue, here’s a list of all the Black mental health resources you can hit up to get the help you need.
Sista Afya
The Chicago-based organization founded by Camesha L Jones focuses on supporting mental wellness among Black women by hosting workshops, therapy, support groups, and social wellness events.
They also have a resources page (that covers over thirty mental health topics) available to anyone in addition to a YouTube channel.
The organization also connects individuals with their in-house therapists for teletherapy sessions at a fee. They also have a sliding scale therapy fee where your charges are set based on your pay.
Therapy For Black Girls
Founded by psychologist Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, this mental health platform destigmatizes mental health issues while improving access to resources such as therapy.
They offer in-house therapy sessions, Q&A sessions with therapists, and running a weekly podcast. They also have a monthly subscription to their product Yellow Couch Collection for 9.99$. This product was created to help women develop the skill to deal with life, covering topics like relationships, work, and even friendships.
Sad Girls Club
This account is dedicated to sharing information about mental illnesses, available resources and reducing the stigma around this topic.
A look through their feed will always land you in an informal discussion with Black women, especially millennials and Gen Z’s, openly discussing their challenges and how they are managing them.
MentalHappy
Founded by Tamara Blue in 2022, the social network aims to help people worldwide (especially Black women and girls) overcome challenging life events. And unlike most platforms, MentalHappy is cost-friendly, offers unrivaled peer support, and is readily available to anyone seeking mental health assistance.
As MentalHappy keeps evolving and growing, Tamara Blue wants users to remember that they are naturally resilient and have inner strength. She also hopes to guide and help people struggling with mental health achieve and lead a more positive and emotionally-fulfilling life.
Dive In Well
Maryam Ajayi founded this organization to create a safe space where online and offline experiences could be used to change and enrich the mental wellness space.
They offer services like the deep-dive workshop, which covers a range of issues like digital therapy and digital wellness. These workshops cost $10 (for BIPOC) to $30 (for non-POC). Dive In Well also offers free tickets and even sliding scale rates for this workshop for people who may not afford the ticket costs.
The Loveland Foundation
The Loveland Foundation was launched in 2018 by Rachel Cargle in response to her widely successful birthday wish fundraiser, Therapy For Black Women & Girls. Since then, the organization has been addressing mental health in the Black community and helping Black women and girls heal from deep-rooted traumas and other mental health issues.
Through fellowships, listening tours, and residency programs, Loveland hopes to continue contributing to the empowerment and liberation of Black women from mental health issues shackles.
The Foundation also runs an active Instagram account regularly updated with self-care tips. So if you need immediate help, be sure to contact their mental health experts and panels for assistance.
Black Girl In Om
This organization was founded on the principle that it is to help Black women breathe easier.
Lauren Ash, its founder, has created a community of over 250 Black women and Women Of Color and runs a five-week program focusing on various wellness tools such as journaling, guided meditation, and other features.
They also offer complimentary meditation sessions and playlists you can stream from home.
Rest For Resistance
This organization is one of the few platforms available for LGBTIA+ individuals, particularly trans and queer people of color.
The grassroots-based organization has created a safe digital space encouraging meditation, art, and writing as forms of resistance and mental wellness.
Black Girls Heal
The online platform, with an associated podcast, is dedicated to creating a sense of community while focusing on self-love, unresolved trauma, and relationships of every nature. It’s basically free therapy for Black people.
The platform also hold regular Instagram lives where interested parties can join in to learn and discuss various mental health matters.
Heal Haus
Heal Haus was initially established as a wellness café but shifted to a solid online presence after the start of the pandemic.
They host various healing workshops and daily classes where they teach breathwork, yoga, and meditation. They also offer one on one therapy sessions and corporate sessions.
Their fees range from 10$ for daily sessions to 30$ for workshops.
Saddies Baddies
The online space is all about healing and destigmatizing mental health issues. Their feed is a collection of posts touching on loneliness, self-harm, OCD, and respectability politics.
They offer a safe virtual space for women of color to learn about mental health and provide them with resources that they can use to start their healing journey.
While this list does not exhaust the various mental health resources available for Black women, it gives you a solid starting point.
It is worth noting that most of these organizations are not-for-profit businesses and raise money through crowdfunding to offer free and scaled-down rates for their various services.
Therefore, while learning about these organizations, you can also send in a donation to ensure that they can continue reaching more and more women who direly need access to these services.
