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Don’t Be Racist About Your Therapist
Black folks tend to last longer in treatment with Black therapists, but finding the right match has lots of factors
As a therapist, I get one question from potential patients the most during our phone consultations: Should you find someone of your own race, or should you not care? What about gender? As with most questions about psychology, the answer is: It depends!
A thorough search for the right therapist is no easy feat. You scour Google or sort through results from directory sites like Psychology Today or Therapy for Black Girls to find a mental health professional in your area. Of course, you also need to filter through professionals who take your insurance or have payment terms within your budget. You may not even know what kind of therapist you’re supposed to be looking for when it comes to finding someone who can provide an accurate diagnosis. Once you’ve made a decision, you schedule your first session, and anxiety sets in. On top of a strenuous search, you have to motivate yourself to go.
Does a race or gender match matter? Based on research, there doesn’t seem to be much difference in terms of treatment outcomes when matching clients and therapists along racial or gender lines. Are you surprised? Me, too!
I’ve been told by Black clients over and over again that they greatly appreciate working with me. For them, being able to sit across from someone who looked more like them helped make the space feel safer and easier to engage in honestly.
It seems that any therapist who is competent in acknowledging race in their practice will be effective at helping you work through your biggest concerns. That’s particularly good news if you live in an area where you are not able to find a therapist of your race if that’s your preference. Of course, this depends on the therapist displaying minimal bias.
There is also research that indicates that finding the right therapist match doesn’t so much matter for White folks. On the other hand, Black folks are more likely to stay in therapy longer when matched with…
