For too long, therapy has felt like a foreign concept—something “other people” do. But for Black women especially, therapy has historically been positioned as not for us. This needs to change. This is the first in a multi-part series exploring why therapy feels unfamiliar and why we need it now more than ever.
Therapy is necessary, not taboo. It’s a soft place to land.
We carry generations of strength, but also generations of silence. And when we finally consider therapy, it can feel like we’re betraying that strength. But therapy isn’t weakness—it’s wellness.
Why Does Therapy Feel So Unfamiliar to Black Women?
Let’s break down three key reasons therapy can feel so unfamiliar:
Stigma
Stigma is a powerful barrier. It’s the whisper that says “something must be wrong with you” if you need help.
But stigma is not truth—it’s a lie rooted in systemic bias and societal conditioning. Historically, therapy was designed for wealthy white men. So of course it hasn’t always felt like it was for us. But that doesn’t mean we don’t belong there.
Cultural Silence
We’ve been raised on silence: “What goes on in this house stays in this house.” That phrase echoes in so many of our memories. But that silence has cost us our peace, our mental health, and sometimes even our safety.
Talking about your emotions isn’t betrayal. It’s survival.
The Unfamiliar Feeling of Having a Space Just for You
Imagine a space where you don’t have to be the strong one, the caretaker, the fixer. Just you. Just your story. Just your healing. That’s what therapy offers—a sacred space where you’re allowed to fall apart, reflect, cry, breathe, and rebuild. It’s not selfish. It’s essential.
“If you’re a Black woman, being strong isn’t about doing everything alone. It’s about knowing when to rest, receive, and heal.”
Therapy isn’t about fixing what’s broken. It’s about making space for your wholeness.
It’s about stepping out of survival mode and learning to live.
Black women—your story deserves to be heard, your pain deserves to be processed, and you deserve a soft place to land.
Ready to take the next step? Explore therapists who see you and get you. You don’t have to do this alone. Therapy isn’t taboo—it’s revolutionary.