Starting therapy can be painfully daunting. You may have heard of some in our community who have had negative experiences, or perhaps you have been taught that going to therapy is for people who are "crazy" or in a significant mental crisis. Given the lack of resources, education, and racism in the mental health system, thinking of starting therapy can certainly be scary. If you are thinking about this now or perhaps entertaining the idea for the future, you may find these points helpful.
Know When It’s Time for Professional Help
(from The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health by Dr. Rheeda Walker):
Don't wait for crisis mode. In crisis mode, the goal is to get to a place of feeling stable so you are in control of your life and of your feelings. Once you are out of crisis, you may not be motivated to be in therapy. Instead, you return to the rat race that is your life — the one that drove you to crisis in the first place. Ideally, you seek therapy before crisis so you can learn skills to manage your life rather than continually hoping that things will work out.
Everyone can benefit from a boost in psychological fortitude — including you. Maybe you have made excuses for not seeking therapy of any sort because you are so good at just continuing on. But your efforts to persevere despite one or two forms of distress can, over time, become compounded with an ever-growing list of challenges.
There is no expiration date on working through unresolved grief and trauma.
How to Access Therapy as a Brown University Student
Contact Counseling and Psychotherapy Services (CAPS) directly. Visit their website for their contact information and information on how to set up an appointment.
If you think it may be more helpful to meet with a Brown staff member outside of CAPS to get general support or to assist you with connecting with CAPS, you can schedule an appointment to meet with a Student Support Services Dean.
Are you looking for a community-based Black or African-American therapist? Trying using these therapist search websites (all available in select states):
Can't find a Black or African-American therapist? Consider expanding your search. Dr. Kristel Carrington, MD, a board-certified adult psychiatrist in New York City who specializes in working on depression, anxiety, and identity, agrees. Dr. Carrington is clear not to criticize or minimize why certain shared factors would be very important. But she adds that, if you’re a person of color who’s finding it impossible to find a therapist who’s also a POC, it can help to “remember that a therapist is someone trained in being curious and learning about others in order to help them through problems.” And at the end of the day? “How good or bad a therapist is depends on how committed they are to that principle.” (From Zencare.co)
Question to Ask a Potential Therapist (from Zencare.co)
How do you culturally identify? Even if you decide not to see a Black or African American therapist, you do want to find a therapist who’s capable of providing culturally competent care.
Have you worked with Black clients in the past? The response you get will help you gauge their comfort level on such topics, and give you a glimpse into how they discuss topics like race, culture, and other pertinent background issues.
Can you tell me a bit about your practice? Asking this open-ended question allows you to get a better sense of the therapist’s personality, and assess from the start whether you feel comfortable speaking with them.
Do you have experience working with clients on [X challenge]? Especially if you are seeking therapy for a specific concern, it can be helpful to know whether the therapist has experience addressing it with clients.
What therapy approach do you use? Most therapists use a combination of therapy approaches; however, some are trained in a specific approach (for example, more reflective of past experiences, or more skills-based), and it can be helpful to learn whether that resonates with you or not.
How frequently and long do you typically see clients? It’s helpful to have an understanding of how long you might see this therapist for.