This World Mental Health Day, we’re paying homage to the Black women who are carving out the safe spaces that we need the most - the safe space that is therapy.
In recent years, we’ve seen an upswing in not only the conversation and normalization of therapy, but we now have Black women openly sharing online the importance of discussing our mental health and allowing for therapy to be a tool that is just as important to our wellness routines as drinking water and getting daily exercise.
Black women are acknowledging that healing is our priority and we’re taking self-care a step further with not just moments of solitude in bubble baths, but creating sustainable wellness routines that center therapy to improve the quality of our lives and to heal from the trauma that many of us have carried with us our entire lives.
With therapists and online communities for Black women like The Loveland Foundation, Therapy For Black Girls, Transparent Black Girl, Heal Sis, Black Girls Smile, Sad Girls Club, A Safe Space Mentor, and more, alongside millions of Black women worldwide, we’re healing and growing together.
As Black women and the Black community as a whole prioritize therapy, the conversation of not just therapy but the type of therapy that we need specifically for us has become more important.
In honor of World Mental Health Day, xoNecole is discussing cultural competence and how the following mental health professionals center the unique needs of Black women within their work across the country.
Amari Denise - Chicago, IL and Houston, TX
"Mental wellness is uniting and reuniting Black families. Black women’s willingness to be the curse breakers has ignited a shift in how Black people view mental health. There is no education that can replace sitting across from someone who sees you and understands you culturally. Being a Black therapist means tailoring our services to meet the needs of the culture to help heal the masses."
Price Point: "Our average per-cost session is $150. We do provide slicing scales also based on income!"
Ryanne Smith - Vancouver, WA
"As a Black woman and therapist, my biggest motivator in serving the perinatal mental health community is recognition of our inherited trauma as Black birthing people and implications of societal expectations of navigating difficult seasons without wavering, meaning I speak to my patients with the understanding that it’s actually not okay to be okay and we are allowed to be unwell, and it doesn’t make us less."
Price Point: "Because I started a nonprofit to sponsor patient care, my providers are offering below-market prices to cover administrative expenses. While private pay therapy clients often pay $110-$150 depending on the provider, most of our providers are doing pro bono, or our organization pays based on a sponsorship program."
"Black women are consistently underdiagnosed, unheard, and unseen in medical spaces. Being a Black therapist also allows me to support my clients beyond their presenting concerns but in the context of their life, including workplace, dating, and family experiences that are unique to the Black experience."
Dr. Shaakira Haywood-Stewart - New York, New York
"My identity as a Black woman shapes the way that I perceive and provide support to my clients. Specifically, it allows me to understand what they are struggling with and enables me to assess for things such as depression, anxiety, and other diagnoses that present themselves differently in Black women. Black women are consistently underdiagnosed, unheard, and unseen in medical spaces. Being a Black therapist also allows me to support my clients beyond their presenting concerns but in the context of their life, including workplace, dating, and family experiences that are unique to the Black experience."
Price Point: "My session fee is $250 per session. I do work with folks who are unable to pay the full fee. For example, I refer them to The Loveland Foundation for therapy vouchers and let folks use those in full to cover the entire session cost. Additionally, if existing clients hit extenuating circumstances, I have them tell me a fee that they are able to pay and we go from there until their circumstances change."
Ashley Dominique - Fredericksburg, VA
"I prioritize cultural competence, asking questions instead of making assumptions, and creating spaces where the individuals I work with feel safe to be their full selves."
Price Point: "Intake Assessment: $150 and Individual Psychotherapy: $125. I use Open Path Collective to offer a sliding scale option."
Janelle Thompson - Jersey City, NJ
"As a Black woman therapist and founder of a group practice, I deeply understand the complexities of identity, lived experience, and intersectionality that Black women face when seeking mental health support. Building a culturally safe practice has always been a priority for me. Our approach is rooted in recognizing the unique challenges Black women navigate—whether it's societal pressures, confronting microaggressions, or simply finding spaces where they can fully unwind and heal.
"At Simply Redefining Wellness & Counseling, I’ve cultivated a team that is not only intentional about bringing their whole selves into their work but also deeply attuned to the needs and boundaries of our clients. We offer more than just professional expertise; we bring personal insight, [and] empathy, and create a space where our clients feel genuinely seen, heard, and understood. Our services are designed to empower Black women in their journey toward healing and strength through individual therapy, couples counseling, family therapy, and support groups."
Price Point: "Our session rates range from $120 to $200 without insurance, with reduced rates of $35 to $100 available through our graduate student interns and provisionally licensed clinicians. To ensure therapy is accessible, each fully licensed clinician takes on at least two pro bono clients annually. For clients with insurance, copays vary from $0 to $75, depending on the plan.
"We are dedicated to making mental health support both accessible and transformative, helping Black women move toward a place of healing, resilience, and empowerment. By creating safe spaces where Black women can unpack, release, and heal, we foster a community that encourages and celebrates their emotional wellness."
Justine Ashlee - Montclair, NJ
"Being a Black woman has made me more intentional about the therapeutic approaches I use. I tried to study the origins a little bit more and make sure that I'm not using a method of therapy or an approach that has an undertone of oppression because research will show you that not every form of therapy is healthy for Black women. I also make sure that the room in itself feels relaxing, like we play music [and] I have snacks.
"Normally therapists are taught to be a bit of a blank slate and keep everything neutral, but I do kind of play with that a little bit because I want the environment to have more of a communal feel, especially as a Black woman who understands that especially when it comes to therapy, you need to be handled with a special kind of care."
Price Point: "My current rate per session is $150."
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by SDI Productions/Getty Images
