13 Inclusive Therapy And Mental Health Resources For BIPOC
Including sliding-scale therapists, online support groups, community-driven apps, and more.
While many people are protesting against police brutality and in support of Black Lives Matter, the events can take a much harder toll on BIPOC.
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At the same time, it's not always easy to find affordable or accessible therapy or mental health resources, let alone ones that feel intersectional and inclusive. Whether you're looking for emotional support or professional help, here are some things to try.
1. If you're looking for a therapist, start by searching your health insurance website directly.
If you have health insurance and it at least partially covers mental health services, it's easiest to start by searching the insurance company's website — so you'll end up with results that are covered or partially covered. (Here's the one for Optum, a part of UnitedHealth Group.)
Another option is to search for therapists and counselors through ZocDoc while filtering the results based on your specific insurance plan.
Read more: Everything You Could Possibly Want To Know About Therapy
2. Cross-check therapist directories that allow you to filter by speciality or association.
Psychology Today is one of the most popular resources for finding a sliding-scale therapist, but if you'd like to specify your search, there are directories for Black, Latinx, Asian, and Native American mental health professionals.
The American Psychological Association also has a page for accredited therapist associations, such as the Association of Black Psychologists, Asian American Psychological Association, and National Latina/o Psychological Association.
Inclusive Therapists can also be a solid reference point in finding the right therapist for you, and offers low-cost or nonprofit options as well as reduced fee teletherapy. Therapy for Black Girls, Therapy for Black Men, The National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network, and Melanin and Mental Health are also great directories to take a look at.
3. If you don't have health insurance, look into nonprofit alternatives.
Open Path Collective is a nonprofit that aims to provide more affordable therapy to those who need it. For a one-time fee of $59 to become a member, you pay between $30–$60 a session, and can search for therapists based on their specialities.
The nice thing too is you can browse around before you commit to paying the fee.
4. Fill your feed with inclusive resources.
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Balanced Black Girl highlights summaries of its podcast focusing on health and wellness. Also in the IG and podcast realm: the Hey, Girl podcast, Therapy for Black Girls, Dr. Thema, Brown Girl Self-Care, and Black Girls Heal.
5. Balanced Black Girl also has an excellent curated Community Healing Guide — full of more mental health and self-care resources:
Access and share the Google Doc here. ⬆️
6. Join an online community or support group.
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Ethel's Club is a digital membership club that offers things like book clubs, group workouts, and guided meditations for $17 a month. There is currently a waitlist to join their free Healing and Grieving group sessions.
You can also join a Facebook group (Therapy for Black Girls has one, as well as Depressed While Black.) Another option is finding a local group that offers online support right now — such as Chicago-based Sista Afya, which provides low-cost individual and group therapy, as well as online support groups around topics including "processing the movement" and "overcoming difficult news."
Additionally, you can search through Mental Health America to find a specific support group via a local affiliate. They also have groups you can access online that are organized by topic.
7. Download a mental health app that focuses more on BIPOC issues.
Shine, which was founded by two WOC, was started "in the name of fundamentally shifting representation in mental health." It offers guided meditations, journaling, and other resources to help manage anxiety and stress. It's free to download but has on-app purchases.
Another option is The Safe Place, a free app offering mental health resources for the Black community, started by certified peer support specialist Jasmin Pierre. On it, you can find self-care tips such as how to cope after police brutality, and how to talk to family about mental health.
8. Sign up for text therapy.
Especially during the pandemic when most therapy is virtual anyway, text therapy can be a good option. Talkspace offers unlimited texting for $65 a week (and currently has a "$65 off" promotion if you apply with the code "APPLY65".) Another option is Betterhelp, which is about $60–80 per week.
9. Use virtual meditation services or apps.
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While there's currently a waitlist to join Black Girl in Om's The Circle, you can listen to a complimentary meditation from Lauren Ash here. Online mental health groups such as Ethel's Club and Dive In Well often offer meditations as well.
Apps like Headspace and Calm are also popular apps for generally managing stress and anxiety — and both offer free trials if you're looking to test things out.
10. Find a federally funded health center.
The Health Resources & Services Administration has a search tool you can use to find local health centers, some of which offer mental health services where payment is based on your income.
Of course, with the current pandemic, you might not be able to go in person, so it might take some digging to find one that offers telehealth services.
11. See if you qualify for Medicaid.
Your eligibility will vary depending on where you live, but if you do qualify, there are therapists who take Medicaid insurance.
12. Call the NAMI HelpLine or browse their resources.
While the National Alliance on Mental Illness can't directly provide mental health services, a volunteer can potentially guide you towards affordable, practical resources. They also have a page of resources specifically for the Black community, many of which offer online support right now.
13. Read stories centered around the mental health of BIPOC.
If you're looking to read a relatable story to feel less alone, Depressed While Black's Facebook and Black Girl + Mental Health curate articles around mental health. Another great resource is Ourselves Black, a magazine that focuses on Black mental health.
Additionally, therapists or therapy directories such as Therapy for Black Girls, Talkspace, or Psychology Today often feature blog posts centered around more timely mental health challenges.