Historically, racial health disparities have prevented BIPOC communities from accessing mental health resources that address the trauma and stressors that result from racial inequality. Not only is it difficult for communities of color to attain quality medical care, it is even more difficult to find a mental health care professional of color in the United States. BIPOC mental health care professionals make up less than 15% of psychologists in the workforce within the U.S. Coupled with the ongoing pandemic, current economic crisis, and recent racist incidents, it is clear that now more than ever that BIPOC deserve access to culturally conscious mental health resources. In recognition of this, here are seven accessible organizations and resources that focus on BIPOC mental health.
- Therapy for Black Girls
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Founded by Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, Therapy for Black Girls is an online space that promotes the mental wellness of Black women. With over 170 episodes, Dr. Bradford’s podcast has become a successful component of the online platform. The free podcast aims to make psychological content more accessible for Black women through its lively nature and pop culture analogies. Alongside the podcast, TFBG includes a community space and blog for members to express their personal struggles and issues. The most recent addition to the platform is a directory of mental healthcare providers across the U.S tailored to Black women.
- Latinx Therapy
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Latinx Therapy was founded on the pillars of culturally attuned and inclusive care, social justice activism, and consultation accountability. Founded in 2018 by Adriana Alejandre, the platform aims to serve as a place where Latinx members can destigmatize their thoughts on mental illness and engage with care tailored to their needs. Latinx Therapy hosts a variety of services such as a bilingual podcast, national directory of Latinx mental health care providers, courses/workshops, and wellness resources.
- We R Native
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Launched by the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board in 2012, We R Native is a comprehensive health resource created for Indigenous youth. The website promotes holistic health practices as it relates to Indigenous culture, history, and current issues. The website contains over 300 subpages that highlight a myriad of health information that has been written and reviewed by Native youth and experts in the subjects. They also provide resources for Indigenous folks through the form of grants and contests.
- National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network
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The National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN) is a healing justice organization founded by Erica Woodland in 2016. The NQTTCN aims to provide mental health care and resources for QTPOC across North America. The network considers themselves to be positioned at the intersection of social justice and mental health care since they believe that highlighting these two aspects provides a transformative therapeutic process for communities of color. The NQTTCN provides a QTPOC mental health practitioner directory and mental health fund for members that may need financial support on their care journey.
- The Asian Mental Health Project
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The Asian Mental Health Project was founded by Carrie Zhang to open up and destigmatize the conversation about mental illness within Asian communities. The online platform provides a variety of resources, such as a directory featuring Asian-focused health care professionals and posts that highlight personal struggles with mental health. Additionally, their website features a template for those who may be unsure about how to reach out to a mental health care provider. In the future, the project hopes to provide live events and community programming to engage its members.
- The Nap Ministry
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Throughout the pandemic, you’ve probably seen a couple of The Nap Ministry’s posts floating around your Instagram feed. Their page is a goldmine of insightful messages that highlight the lack of rest between BIPOC and how this leads to further complications. Founded in 2016 by Tricia Hersey, The Nap Ministry revolves around the idea that napping is a powerful and liberating tool for BIPOC to navigate through trauma and oppression. Hersey believes that resting is not only necessary for health reasons, but also for resistance. The Nap Ministry provides its followers with workshops and performance art shows to engage BIPOC in a new form of mental health care.
- Liberate Meditation
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With over 50,000 users, the Liberate meditation app is one of the holy grails for BIPOC looking for accessible mental health resources. The subscription-based app is centered on the BIPOC healing experience and features BIPOC meditation instructors. The platform provides a space to deal with the shared commonalities of the BIPOC experience, such as microaggressions or navigating internalized racism. They are committed to providing culturally relevant practices and conversations as a means of mental health care for their members. Their Liberate Fund is used to finance their platform on a donation basis in order to keep costs low for their members.
If you are not a BIPOC but would still like to aid these communities, consider helping by donating to any of these resources that you found interesting! Many of them are currently struggling with funding because of the pandemic and rely on financial contributions to keep providing the incredible and necessary resources to their communities. While this list does not encompass all the resources available for BIPOC, it serves as an introduction to potential tools for your mental health journey. Mental health is a crucial part of your overall wellbeing, and hopefully you’ll be able to explore these resources to serve your own personal needs.