Focusing on your mental health is an important aspect to well-being, but due to the stigma surrounding mental health, many people are afraid or embarrassed to discuss what they’re going through and seek help from qualified professionals. Within the Black community, racism and socioeconomic issues, like poverty, are a few factors impacting the mental health of Black people. The lack of culturally competent providers, a mistrust of the medical community, and stigma surrounding mental health has led to Black people going untreated and being misdiagnosed when they do opt to seek support.
Because of this, activists and experts in mental health have created a variety of resources – like podcasts, therapy apps, directories, and online groups – with the goal of continuing to educate Black people about mental health, erasing the stigma around mental health, and helping Black people improve their overall well-being. Whether you’re looking for low- to no-cost resources, need help finding a culturally competent therapist, or are looking for a safe space to learn and be vulnerable, the following 25 platforms dedicated to the well-being of Black people are a good starting point. As a gentle reminder, these platforms are not meant to replace any treatment you are considering or are currently receiving.
Related: Tracee Ellis Ross Relies on These 3 Simple Breathing Exercises to De-Stress
Therapy Directories
Therapy For Black Girls: Therapy For Black Girls is erasing the stigma surrounding mental health and teaching Black women about mental health through accessible and relevant topics. Additionally, this directory helps Black women find therapists for virtual and in-person sessions.
National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network: the National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network is a healing justice organization at the intersection of social justice and mental health committed to transforming the mental health of queer and trans people of color. Ultimately, their goal is to increase the access to healing justice resources in the QTPOC community.
Therapy For Latinx: Therapy For Latinx is platform helping Latinx people find culturally competent therapists, life coaches, emergency mental health centers, and low-cost/free community clinics.
Therapy For Black Men: Therapy For Black Men is a platform for boys and men of color to find mental health professionals, such as therapists and life coaches, and receive support when it comes to their mental health.
Melanin and Mental Health: Melanin and Mental Health was created to connect people with culturally competent clinicians who are committed to serving the needs of Black, Latinx, and Hispanic communities.
Inclusive Therapists: Inclusive Therapists centers the needs of marginizaled populations and helps them find culturally responsive, social justice-oriented therapists.
BEAM: BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health) is a collective of activists, lawyers, yoga instructors, therapists, teachers, and psychologists dedicated to improving the emotional/mental health and healing of Black communities.
Related: This Woman Created a Meditation Platform For Black Women to Help Them Relax and Destress
Digital Therapy Apps:
Ayana Therapy: Ayana Therapy is a therapy app that helps people from marginizaled communities find culturally competent therapists for virtual therapy sessions.
Liberate Meditation: Liberate Meditation is an app featuring meditations and talks for Black, Indigenous, and people of color.
Shine App: Shine is a healthcare app created to help people rest, heal, and grow through difficult times. It features inclusive meditations, a diverse community, personalized affirmations, and gratitude journaling.
The Safe Place: The safe place is an app created for people of color, especially Black people, with the goal of bringing more awareness and education to mental health in Black and brown communities.
Minds of The Culture: Minds of The Culture is a mental health app for millennials to learn how to manage their mental health. It features a directory to find therapists, a mood journal, blogs, faith-based coping, videos with information regarding mental health, and more.
Elevate: Elevate is a self-care app helping people overcome adversity and become their best selves with daily affirmations, self-improvement challenges, motivational videos and podcasts, and more.
Related: If You Constantly Feel Burned Out and Unhappy, You May Have High-Functioning Depression
Digital Therapy Platforms and Communities:
The Loveland Foundation: the Loveland Foundation prioritizes opportunity, access, validation, and healing for Black girls and Black women.
Sad Girls Club: Sad Girls Club is an initiative bringing girls and women who have mental health conditions together. The goal is to remove the stigma surrounding mental health, provide mental health services to those who don’t have access to therapy and treatment, and create in-person, safe spaces so that young girls and women don’t feel alone when it comes to their mental health.
Black Mental Wellness: Black mental wellness is providing Black people with evidence-based information and resources on mental health and behavioral health topics.
Saddie Baddies: Saddie Baddies is a virtual space space for women of color focusing on destigmatizing mental health.
Black Men Heal: Black Men Heal is an organization providing access to mental health treatment, psycho-education, and community resources for men of color.
Rest For Resistance: Rest For Resistance is uplifting marginalized communities. One initiative of Rest For Resistance is creating healing spaces for LGBTIQ+ people. Queer, trans, people of color (QTPoC), is a grass-roots, trans-led organization with online and offline safe spaces for trans and queer people of color to practice being their whole selves.
Sista Afya: Sista Afya was created to help Black women across the African Diaspora maintain and improve their mental wellness through resources helping them connect with and support one another.
Therapy Podcasts:
Latinx Therapy: Latinx Therapy is a podcast centered around mental health topics that are connected to the Latinx community in order to demystify myths and to end the stigma surrounding mental health.
Therapy For Black Girls: the Therapy For Black Girls podcast is a weekly podcast covering all things mental health and personal development.
Between Sessions: the Between Sessions podcasts is like an extension to therapy sessions (but definitely not meant to be used as treatment or replace any treatment you may be receiving), covering everything from grief to setting healthy boundaries.
Brown Girl Self-Care: Brown Girl Self-Care is a podcast focusing on physical, spirtual, and emotional well-being for women of color.
Balanced Black Girl: Balanced Black Girl is a safe space for women of color to discuss wellness, self-care, and self-love.
