Amber Dee is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) who created a hub for Black people to find mental health professionals. Through her platform, Black Female Therapists, Dee informs Black women and men about mental health in the Black community. Though the name of the site centers on women, Dee stresses the database is made for all. Dee’s intent is to help connect people with a practitioner in their area. The LPC and businesswoman spoke with Atlanta News First about filling a specific need in the Black community and her platform’s database.
“It’s really important for you to connect with a therapist that knows background, cultural background,” she said.
Dee needed a personal therapist; she believes even practitioners need a place to vent. However, her search for a therapist yielded little fruit. She discusses the challenges of finding a therapist on the official website of Black Female Therapists.
“After getting into the field of mental health and seeking my own therapist (because I think every therapist should have a therapist), I had a difficult time finding a special fit for me. I eventually stopped complaining and started to do something about this, which sparked Black Female Therapist.”
The Black Female Therapists directory is only one facet of Dee’s platform. Contrary to its name, the site offers community and assistance for both men and women of color.
Dee compiles resources such as podcasts, daily affirmations, events, and more to help people struggling with mental health.
The need for platforms like Black Female Therapist or Therapy For Black Girls is apparent.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, “Suicide was the third leading cause of death for Black or African Americans ages 10 to 24.”
The Office of Minority Health also cites that Black men commit suicide at “more than four times higher than for Black or African American females.”
Black men are not the only demographic at risk; 21.6% of children in grades 9-12 have contemplated suicide, and only 15.1% of Black people have received therapy as a whole.
The percentage of Black people contemplating or enacting self-harm is higher than the number of Black people in therapy. Working with a mental health professional is one way to help decrease the growing statistics.
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