Finding Your Person: A Mental Health Resource Guide for Black Women

Sep 13

5 min read

Therapists who look like you · Psychologists who understand your story · Free & low-cost options · Crisis resources · Telehealth · Community healing spaces

Sis, no shame in reaching for help!

I personally had to reach out for help several years ago, when my world collapsed and continued to crumble even after the walls came tumbling down. Luckily for me I met a sister friend who took one look at me and said, “Sis, I am not sure I can help — but I know someone who might be able to assist.”

I had the same thought every one of us has been taught to have. We don't talk to strangers about our problems. You know the sayings we grew up with:

“What happens in this house, stays in this house.”

And “Black people don't talk to therapists. That's for white people.”

All bad advice.

But I want you to understand something: those sayings didn't come from nowhere. Our grandmothers' silence was survival — in a world that used Black women's vulnerability against them, closing ranks was protection. The mistrust of systems, including medical systems, was earned through generations of being dismissed, misdiagnosed, and ignored. That mistrust is valid. What is no longer serving us is the silence we inherited along with it.

We were handed the armor. Nobody told us we were also allowed to take it off.

The Strong Black Woman. The one who holds it together. The one who shows up for everyone and never asks for the same in return. We wore that identity like a crown when it was really a weight. And the longer we carried it without naming it, the heavier it became.

That is not strength. That is a woman who needed to be seen and was never shown how to ask.

For me, it took my world completely falling apart before I reached for help. I do not want that for you. I want you to reach before the walls come down.

Unfortunately for me, my therapist retired. But those sessions changed something in me that has never gone back to the way it was before. Just being able to sit across from someone who gets it — and gets me — made all the difference. I felt seen. I felt heard. She gave me guidance without judgement, without my having to explain myself.

And you cannot put a cost on that.

This is one of the reasons I created the guided journals — to assist in the in-between moments. The 2 a.m. moments. I am not a psychologist or a psychiatrist. But I get it. Been there, sis — and depending on the day, still there. That is not a weakness. That is a woman doing the work.

You are allowed to take up space in a therapist's office. You are allowed to ask for what you need and not apologize for knowing what it is. You are allowed to need more than one person, more than one resource, more than one season of healing. You are allowed to not be okay.

And you are allowed to find your way back.

The resources in this guide were built by sisters, for sisters. Use every single one. Share them. Because somewhere in these pages is the person who has been waiting to meet you.

As your Wellness Guide, I want you to know: it is okay not to be okay. And it is more than okay to ask for help.

With peace and blessings,

Lesa Marie

Holistic Wellness Guide · Roots To Rise Life Collective

Why a Sister Who Knows Makes All the Difference

Research consistently confirms what we already feel: therapeutic alliance — the quality of connection between therapist and client — is one of the strongest predictors of healing outcomes. Only 4% of psychologists in the United States are Black. Only 2% of psychiatrists are Black.

Only 1 in 3 Black adults who need mental health care receive it. You deserve to be in that number. And you deserve to receive it from someone who already understands.

Find Your Therapist — The Directories

Searchable, verified, and built specifically for our community.

Therapy for Black Girls

therapyforblackgirls.com — The gold standard directory for Black women and girls. Founded by licensed psychologist Dr. Joy Harden Bradford.

Black Female Therapists (BFT)

blackfemaletherapists.com — A directory platform created specifically to elevate Black female therapists nationwide.

BEAM — Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective

beam.community — A national organization connecting you with Black therapists, doulas, and holistic practitioners.

Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi)

abpsi.org — The professional home of Black psychologists, promoting African-centered psychology.

National Association of Black Counselors (NABC)

nabcounselors.org — A searchable directory covering Black counselors, social workers, and psychotherapists nationwide.

Inclusive Therapists

inclusivetherapists.com — A directory centered on social justice and liberation-informed mental health care.

Psychology Today — African American Therapist Directory

psychologytoday.com — The largest therapist directory in the country, filterable by African American therapists, telehealth, and specialty.

Organizations, Free Therapy & Community Healing

Beyond the directory — community, free sessions, and spaces to exhale.

The Loveland Foundation — Therapy Fund

thelovelandfoundation.org/therapy-fund — Founded by Rachel Cargle, this fund has provided over 150,000 hours of free therapy to Black women and girls. 4–12 free sessions available.

Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation

borislhensonfoundation.org — Founded by Taraji P. Henson, connects African Americans with up to five free therapy sessions.

Sista Afya Community Mental Wellness

sistaafya.com — A social enterprise sustaining the mental wellness of Black women through community.

Melanated Women's Health

melanatedwomenshealth.com — Black-owned therapy practice offering culturally affirming care via telehealth.

Black Girls Smile

blackgirlssmile.org — Mental health education and support for young Black women.

Black Men Heal

blackmenheal.org — Mental health treatment access for men of color. Share with the men in your life.

AAKOMA Project

aakomaproject.org — Mental health support for diverse teens, young adults, and families.

“When Black women heal, entire communities transform.” — Rachel Cargle, Founder, The Loveland Foundation

Telehealth & Reduced-Cost Options

Distance and money should never be the reason you don't heal.

Talkspace

talkspace.com — One of the largest telehealth platforms. Filter specifically for Black therapists.

Open Path Collective

openpathcollective.org — In-person and online therapists at reduced rates of $30–$70 per session.

Zencare

zencare.co — A vetted directory with video profiles so you can hear therapists before booking.

SAMHSA National Helpline

findtreatment.gov · 1-800-662-4357 — Free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral service.

Crisis Resources — When You Cannot Wait

If you or someone you love is in crisis right now, please put this guide down and call or text 988. You do not have to be suicidal to reach out. Overwhelmed counts. Falling apart counts.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Call or Text: 988 — Free, confidential, 24/7 support. Chat at 988lifeline.org.

Crisis Text Line

Text HOME to 741741 — Free, 24/7 crisis support via text message.

SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline

Call or Text: 1-800-985-5990 — 24/7 crisis counseling, including for community violence and racial trauma.

NAMI Helpline

1-800-950-NAMI (6264) · Text NAMI to 741741 — Free peer-support and referrals.

This guide is for educational and resource purposes only. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Your healing starts at the root. 🌿