The Mental Health Industry Fails Women of Color
Medical insurance is disadvantageous for those who want a culturally sensitive professional
When Zahra, an Iranian American woman, told her family she wanted to go to therapy, they questioned why she would “throw [her] money away” when she could talk to friends or family for free. This is a common sentiment among immigrants to the United States. She says family members “feel shame in admitting family or personal issues to any outsider,” and so they take issue with her being in therapy. When she began seeking treatment, discussing with her White therapist cultural norms and taboos, she was faced with microaggressions. Her therapist told her to “stop living like you’re in the Middle East.” In Zahra’s words, her therapist “wanted [her] to Westernize her values to make her job easier.”
When a woman of color decides — in spite of cultural barriers — to seek mental health care, other issues (like those shared by Zahra) can arise. It’s been proven that culturally responsive therapy is integral for people of color and care that is provided by White practitioners can actually be harmful to BIPOC patients. Diagnostic tests were created and tested on White people, meaning Black (and Brown) folks are less likely to even have their mental illnesses recognized and diagnosed by a…
