Organizations aim to connect patients, therapists of color

A number of new organizations aim to digitally connect patients with mental health providers who value and understand different cultures (Source: “It’s Hard to Search for a Therapist of Color. These Websites Want to Change That.,” New York Times, July 16).

In recent years there has been an expanding number of digital companies and nonprofits created to help people of color find a therapist they can trust — someone who is not only skilled in the best evidence-based treatments but also culturally competent. In other words, a provider who is aware of their own world views, knowledgeable about diversity and trained to connect with different types of clients.

The founders of these organizations say there has always been a need for such services, and even more so now that people are coping with the stressors of the pandemic and the racial reckoning that followed the killing of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police.

Studies have shown that mental health treatments can be more effective when a client feels that their therapist values culture.

It can be difficult for people of color to locate a therapist with a shared cultural background.  An American Psychological Association report found that only 5% of psychologists are Hispanic and 4% are Black — 86% are white. A similar disparity exists among the country’s social workers and psychiatrists.