44 Mental Health Resources for Black People Trying to Survive in This Country

Because we need and deserve support.

June 2, 2020

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Black lives matter. Black bodies matter. Black mental health matters. This latest string of rampant and wanton brutality against Black people flies in the face of these indisputable truths. As a Black woman myself, I’ve spent years trying to process the violence and racism that are part and parcel of living in this country in this skin. But I’ve never had to do it during a pandemic that, of course, is decimating Black lives, health, and communities the most.

In my years as a mental health reporter and editor, I’ve been heartened to slowly see the collection of mental health resources for Black people start to grow. It’s still not where it needs to be, but there is solidarity and support out there if you need help processing what’s happening (and there’s nothing weak about needing it, either). Here’s a list of resources that may help if you’re looking for mental health support that validates and celebrates your Blackness.

It starts with people to follow on Instagram who regularly drop mental health gems, then goes into groups and organizations that do the same, followed by directories and networks for finding a Black mental health practitioner. Lastly, I’ve added a few tips to keep in mind when seeking out this kind of mental health support, especially right now.

People to follow

Alexandra Elle: Author and founder of the Hey, Girl podcast, Elle has an Instagram feed that offers affirmations and reminders like “We are never alone in our struggles” and “You don’t have to be okay. Healing isn’t linear,” sometimes set against a soothing taupe background, other times simply written on a sticky note.
Alishia McCullough, L.C.M.H.C.A., N.C.C.: McCullough’s Instagram places an emphasis on Black mental wellness and self-love, along with social justice issues like fat liberation. She also posts about participating in live virtual panels on issues like living with an abuser while social distancing and having to live with toxic family during the coronavirus crisis, so if you’re craving that kind of content, consider following along.
Bassey Ikpi: Ikpi is a mental health advocate whom I first became familiar with when she appeared on The Read podcast, where she talked about her now best-selling debut essay collection, I’m Telling the Truth but I’m Lying, in which she writes about her experiences having bipolar II and anxiety. Ikpi is also the founder of the Siwe Project, a global nonprofit that increases awareness around mental health in people of African descent.
Cleo Wade: Wade is the best-selling author of Heart Talk and Where to Begin: A Small Book About Your Power to Create Big Change in Our Crazy World, and his poetic Instagram dispatches offer quiet meditations on life, love, spirituality, current events, relationships, and finding inner peace.
Donna Oriowo, Ph.D.: I first heard about Oriowo, a sex and relationship therapist, when a friend told me I had to listen to a recent Therapy for Black Girls podcast episode in which Oriowo discussed whether Issa and Molly can repair their friendship on Insecure. Oriowo shared so much insight into Issa and Molly’s psyches that I was having lightbulb moment after lightbulb moment. And as a sex and relationship therapist, her Instagram feed destigmatizes Black sexuality and relationships specifically, which is essential.
Jennifer Mullan, Psy.D.: Mullan’s mission is, as her Instagram handle so succinctly sums up, to decolonizing therapy. Check out her feed for ample conversation about how mental health (and access to related services) are impacted by trauma and systemic inequities, along with hope that healing is indeed possible.
Jessica Clemons, M.D.: Dr. Clemons is a board-certified psychiatrist who spotlights Black mental health. Her Instagram encompasses everything from mindfulness to motherhood, and her live Q + As and #askdrjess video posts really make it feel like you’re not only following her, but connecting with her, too.
Joy Harden Bradford, Ph.D.: Bradford is a psychologist who aims to make discussions about mental health more accessible for Black women, particularly by bringing pop culture into the mix. She’s also the founder of Therapy for Black Girls, a much-loved resource that includes a great Instagram feed and podcast.
Mariel Buquè, Ph.D.: Click the follow button if you could use periodic “soul check” posts asking how your soul is holding up, gentle ways to practice self-care, help sorting through your feelings, advice on building resilience, and so much more.
Morgan Harper Nichols: If you don’t already follow Nichols but like stirring art mixed with uplifting messages, you’re in for a treat. Her Instagram feed is a swirly, colorful dream of what she describes as “daily reminders through art”—reminders of how valid it is to still seek joy, and of your worth, and of the fact that “small progress is still progress.”
Nedra Glover Tawwab: In Tawwab’s Instagram bio, the licensed clinical social worker describes herself as a “boundaries expert.” That expertise is critical right now, given that safeguarding our mental health as much as possible pretty much always requires firm boundaries. Tawwab also holds weekly Q&A sessions on Instagram, so stay tuned to her feed if you have a question you’d like to submit.
Thema Bryant-Davis, Ph.D.: Bryant-Davis is a licensed psychologist and ordained minister whose clinical background includes a focus on healing trauma and working at the intersection of gender and race. If you happen to be avoiding Twitter as much as possible for the sake of your mental health, like I am, you might like that her feed is mainly a collection of her great mental health tweets you would otherwise miss.

Brands, collectives, and organizations to follow

Balanced Black Girl: This gorgeous feed features photos and art of Black people, along with summaries of Balanced Black Girl podcast episodes, worthwhile tweets you can see without having to scroll through Twitter, and advice about trying to create a balanced life even in spite of everything we’re dealing with. Balanced Black Girl also has a great Google Doc full of more mental health and self-care resources.
Black Female Therapists: On this feed you’ll find inspirational messages, self-care-Sunday reminders, and posts highlighting various Black mental health practitioners across the country. Black Female Therapists also recently launched an initiative to match Black people in need with therapists who will do two to three free virtual sessions.
Black Girls Heal: This feed focuses on Black mental health surrounding self-love, relationships, and unresolved trauma, along with creating a sense of community. (Like by holding “Saturday Night Lives” on Instagram to discuss self-love.) Following along is also an easy way to keep track of the topics on the associated podcast, which shares the same name.
Black Girl in Om: This brand describes its vision as “a world where womxn of color are liberated, empowered & seen.” On its feed you can find helpful resources like meditations, along with a lot of joyful photos of Black people, which I personally find incredibly restorative at this time.
Black Mental Wellness: Founded by a team of Black psychologists, this organization offers a ton of mental health insight through posts about everything from destigmatizing therapy to talking about Black men’s mental health to practicing gratitude to coping with anxiety.
Brown Girl Self-Care: With the mission to “Help Black women healing from trauma go from ‘every once in a while’ self-care to EVERY DAY self-care,” this feed features tons of affirmations and self-care reminders that might help you feel a little bit better. Plus, in June, the account is running a free virtual Self-Care x Sisterhood circle every Sunday.
Ethel’s Club: This social and wellness club for people of color, originally based in Brooklyn, has pivoted hard during the pandemic and now offers a digital membership club featuring virtual workouts, book clubs, wellness salons, creative workshops, artist Q&As, and more. Membership is $17 a month, or you can follow the feed for free tidbits if that’s a better option for you.
Heal Haus: This café and wellness space in Brooklyn has of course closed temporarily due to the pandemic. In the meantime, it has expanded its online offerings. Follow its Instagram to stay up to date with what it’s rolling out, like the free upcoming Circle of Care for Black Womxn on June 5.
The Hey Girl Podcast: This podcast features Alexandra Elle, whom I mentioned above, in conversation with various people who inspire her. Its Instagram counterpart is a pretty and calming feed of great takeaways from various episodes, sometimes layered over candy-colored backgrounds, other times over photos of the people Elle has spoken to.
Inclusive Therapists: This community’s feed specializes in regular doses of mental health insight, a lot of which seems especially geared toward therapists. With that said, you don’t have to be a therapist to see the value in posts like this one, which notes, “You are whole. The system is broken.”
The Loveland Foundation: Founded by writer, lecturer, and activist Rachel Elizabeth Cargle, the Loveland Foundation works to make mental health care more accessible for Black women and girls. It does this through multiple avenues, such as the Therapy Fund, which partners with various mental health resources to offer financial assistance to Black women and girls across the nation who are trying to access therapy. Its Instagram feed is a great mix of self-care tips and posts highlighting various Black mental health experts, along with information about panels and meditations.
The Nap Ministry: If you ever feel tempted to underestimate the pure power of just giving yourself a break, the Nap Ministry is a great reminder that “rest is a form of resistance.” Rest also allows for grieving, which is an unfortunately necessary practice as a Black person in America, especially now. In addition to peaceful and much-needed photos of Black people at rest, there are great takedowns of how harmful grind/hustle culture can be to our health.
OmNoire: Self-described as “a social wellness club for women of color dedicated to living WELL,” this mental health resource actually just pulled off a whole virtual retreat. Follow along for affirmations, self-care tips, and images that are inspirational, grounding, or both. (Full disclosure: I went on a great OmNoire retreat a year ago.)
Saddie Baddies: Gorgeous feed, gorgeous mission. Along with posts exploring topics like respectability politics, obsessive-compulsive disorder, self-harm, and loneliness, this Instagram features beautiful photos of people of color with the goal of making “a virtual safe space for young WoC to destigmatize mental health and initiate collective healing.”
Sad Girls Club: This account is all about creating a mental health community for Gen Z and millennial women who have mental illness, along with reducing stigma and sharing information about mental health services. Scroll through the feed and you’ll see many people of color, including Black women, openly discussing mental health—a welcome sight.
Sista Afya: This Chicago-based organization focuses on supporting Black women’s mental health in a number of ways, like connecting Black women to affordable and accessible mental health practitioners and running mental health workshops. It also offers a Thrive in Therapy program for Illinois-based Black women making less than $1,500 a month. For $75 a month, members receive two therapy sessions, free admission to the monthly support groups, and more.
Transparent Black Girl: Transparent Black Girl aims to redefine the conversation around what wellness means for Black women. Its feed is a mix of relatable memes, hilarious pop culture commentary, beautiful images and art of Black people, and mental health resources for Black people. Transparent Black Guy, the brother resource to Transparent Black Girl, is also very much worth a follow, particularly given the stigma and misconceptions that often surround Black men being vulnerable about their mental health.

Directories and networks for finding a Black (or allied) therapist

Here are various directories and networks that have the goal of helping Black people find therapists who are Black, from other marginalized racial groups, or who describe themselves as inclusive. This list is not exhaustive, and some of these resources will be more expansive than others. They also do different levels of vetting for the experts they include. If you find a therapist via one of these sites who seems promising, be sure to do some follow-up searches to learn more about them.

Finally, a few things to remember as you seek support

First things first: I want to commend you for looking out for yourself. I know finding mental health support is hard. I know doing it as a Black person can be much harder. But I also know it’s important and that you—even if I’ve never met you—are worth it. Your Black life, happiness, joy, and wellness are worth it. With that said, here are a few things to keep in mind as you search:

It might take some time to find a therapist you click with. Hopefully some of the other resources on this list can supplement the care you need while you search. But if you’re thinking of harming yourself and need immediate support, reach out to free resources that are available 24/7, like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255) and the Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741).
It can be confusing to sort through all the different degrees mental health practitioners can have. Ultimately what matters most is finding someone you click with and trust, and the specific mental health degree they have is typically secondary. But if you’re interested, we have a ton of information about what all those degrees mean right here.
Starting therapy with someone new can feel really awkward, and you might have a ton of questions you wish you could ask them but think that you can’t. (1) It’s okay to feel awkward as hell in this process. (2) You definitely can ask your new therapist whatever you want, including how you’ll even know if the two of you are a good fit. Here’s more information about questions you may want to consider asking your new therapist.
Many therapists offer sliding scales, so if you’ve found someone you think would be great but you don’t have insurance or they don’t take your insurance, ask if that might be an option. Here are more tips for making therapy actually affordable.
Teletherapy can feel foreign, even if you’ve been seeing your therapist for years, but especially if you’re starting with someone new right now. There are some ways to make the whole process go a little more smoothly, like writing down the things you’d like to cover in your sessions beforehand. Here are more tips for having good teletherapy appointments.
Even if you’re very used to therapy, the devastating and destabilizing events we’re living through can make it feel like therapy suddenly isn’t working, you’re not sure what to talk about, you have no clue if it’s effective, or any other number of situations that can make it hard to feel like you’re getting the most out of therapy right now. That’s normal. Here, you’ll find tips for sorting through those feelings and figuring out how to get as much mental and emotional restoration from therapy as possible.
Historically, we are such strong people. As I mentioned above, we shouldn’t have to be. Being Black shouldn’t automatically mean we belong to a group of people who have overcome centuries of atrocity to somehow still be here, fighting for change and begging to be seen as the humans we are. But the truth is that we have persisted in the past, and I know we will again. That doesn’t mean we don’t suffer terribly, including by having people taken from us far before their time, or that we won’t be wounded, that we won’t be changed. It doesn’t erase that or make any of the injustice we suffer okay or less painful. But Black people are, perhaps above all, resilient, and I do have hope that, eventually, as many of us as possible will be okay.

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