Finding a Therapist Who Gets It: Tips for BIPOC Women Ready To Do The Work

Finding a therapist can feel overwhelming. Finding a therapist who makes you feel seen, understood, respected, and safe enough to be honest can feel like another challenge entirely.

For Black women and women of color, mental health doesn't exist separately from the rest of our lives. Family expectations, relationships, work, motherhood, cultural identity, racism, financial stress, community responsibilities, and experiences with healthcare can all shape how we experience and talk about our mental health.

Sometimes, you may know you're struggling without knowing exactly what you need.

You just know you're tired.

You may be wondering: How do I find the right therapist? What should I look for? What do I say during the first appointment? What if I don't even know where to begin?

✨You don't have to have all the answers before reaching out.✨

Finding a Therapist Who Gets It

You don't have to choose a therapist simply because they have an opening.

The therapeutic relationship matters, and it is okay to consider whether a therapist's approach, experience, and perspective feel like a good fit for you.

For Black women and BIPOC clients, that may include asking whether a therapist has experience working with clients from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds and whether they are comfortable exploring the ways identity and culture can intersect with mental health.

Think of the first conversation as an opportunity to learn whether the therapist feels like someone you could be comfortable working with.

The right therapist shouldn't require you to minimize, justify, or translate your experiences to make them understandable.

How to Prepare for Your First Therapy Appointment

You don't need to prepare a perfect explanation of why you're seeking therapy.

However, spending a little time thinking about what you want support with can make the intake process feel less overwhelming.

Start with what's bringing you in

What has been happening recently that made you consider therapy?

Maybe you're experiencing anxiety, relationship difficulties, grief, burnout, depression, family conflict, difficulty setting boundaries, or simply feeling unlike yourself.

Your presenting concern doesn't have to sound clinical. You can simply say, “I've been feeling overwhelmed and I don't know how to manage everything anymore.”

✨That's a place to start.✨

Think about how it affects your daily life

Consider how your concerns are showing up in your everyday life.

Are you having difficulty sleeping? Concentrating? Maintaining relationships? Going to work? Parenting? Taking care of yourself? Managing emotions? Setting boundaries?

These details can help your therapist understand not only what you're experiencing, but how it's affecting your life.

Gather your family and personal history

Your therapist may ask about family mental health history, significant medical conditions, previous therapy, medications, substance use, major life experiences, and other factors that may provide context for what you're experiencing.

Consider what you want in a therapist

It can be helpful to think about what makes you feel comfortable and supported.

Do you prefer someone who is more structured or conversational? Someone who gives you practical tools or someone who gives you more space to process? Is cultural understanding particularly important to you? Would you feel more comfortable with a therapist of a particular gender, age, or background?

There isn't one “right” therapist.

✨There is the therapist who feels like the right fit for you.✨

Check out the resource guides for choosing a therapist by Dr. Raquel Martin for more detailed preparation guides. Dr. Raquel Martin, PhD is a clinical psychologist and educator whose work centers Black mental health and Liberation Psychology. Known for making complex topics accessible and meaningful, Dr. Martin offers perspectives and practical resources that encourage deeper reflection, challenge traditional ideas, and help people feel seen, informed, and empowered.

Starting Therapy Doesn't Mean Something Is Wrong With You

You don't have to wait until you're in crisis to reach out.

Therapy can be a place to work through what's happening now, understand patterns that have developed over time, strengthen relationships, establish boundaries, process difficult experiences, and create space for the person you are becoming.

At Inspiring Purpose Counseling Group, we believe your story matters

For Black women and women of color in Columbus, culturally responsive therapy can provide a space where your experiences, relationships, culture, and identity are welcomed into the conversation—not treated as something separate from your mental health.

🤎You don't have to have the right words.

🤎You don't have to know exactly what you need.

🤎And you don't have to prove that things are “bad enough” before you deserve support.

🤎You deserve support while you're healing—not just after you've survived.