Black Lives Matter (opens in new tab). The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health reports that African Americans are 10% more likely to experience serious psychological distress (opens in new tab). At the same time, only 30% of African American adults with mental illness get help each year, which is below the U.S. average of 43%.

Racism and racial trauma continue to impact the mental well-being of Blacks, who already face many barriers to mental health treatment. As the National Alliance on Mental Illness states (opens in new tab), "Racism is a public health crisis."

If you feel that the continuing incidents of police brutality and lack of injustice towards black lives (opens in new tab) (in addition to living in a society that supports a system of racism) are taking a toll on your mental health, now you, your friends and your family Here are some resources that can help:

Finding a therapist can be very difficult and can feel like it's not worth it. Thankfully, there are organizations that make it easier for black people to connect. Therapy for Black Girls (opens in new tab), founded by Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, has compiled a helpful directory of therapists who actually *get it*. (The organization also produces a podcast, publishes a weekly newsletter, and hosts a free support group on Thursday nights.)

Find a Therapist

As Healthyish noted (opens in new tab), Inclusive Therapists (opens in new tab) is a program that helps health care providers look at mental health holistically, racial trauma training (opens in new tab) to therapists. The organization has a directory of professionals, many of whom offer discounted virtual sessions.

If you are looking for LGBTQ+ therapists of color, there is a directory of LGBTQ Psychotherapists of Color (opens in new tab).

Attend Virtual Sessions

Therapy can be very expensive, but online support groups like Sista Afya (opens in new tab) offer free virtual conversations. Their latest group session focused on how consuming news causes stress and affects our mental health (opens in new tab) and provided tools that can be used when the news cycle is particularly traumatic.

Also look into Ethel's Club (opens in new tab), a Brooklyn-based wellness group that focuses on people of color. If you want to use tarot and astrology to help you on your mental health journey, Dive in Well (opens in new tab) has a variety of programs, in addition to donated therapy classes and wellness-focused workshops.

Hold Workplaces Accountable

Working in a workplace that acknowledges the burdens faced by blacks and is actively working to end institutional racism can dramatically improve your mental health. It should not be the responsibility of blacks to educate whites about racism, but if you want to reach out to company leaders, or if you are an ally who wants to make sure your workplace is holding you accountable, simply fill out this template (opens in a new tab) and send it in to ensure your voice get heard.

Check Out These IG Accounts

Fill your feed with reminders and tips for taking care of your mental health. Good to follow The Nap Ministry (opens in new tab) to remind you that taking breaks is an important part of mental health. (The organization also offers "rest coaching" and "spiritual direction" virtual or Atlanta-based guided sessions (opens in new tab).)

Black Mental Wellness (opens in new tab) account not only posts about virtual support sessions, but also offers helpful journal prompts if you prefer to write them down and reflect on them later.

The Heal House (opens in new tab) offers virtual wellness retreats, sound baths, and healing groups. It is also a great resource if you are interested in private sessions (opens in new tab) in a variety of disciplines, including astrology, tarot, energy healing, coaching, and holistic medicine.

Download The Safe Place App

The Safe Place (opens in new tab) provides statistics on mental health in the black community, advice on coping after incidents of police brutality, breathing techniques, open forum discussions, breathing techniques, open forum discussions, tips on working with families and black churches on mental health, and more in this free, all-in-one destination.

As scary as it may feel to ask for or get help, please take care of yourself. And if you are in a financial position, please donate to The Loveland Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps black women access mental health resources through Therapy Fund (opens in new tab). The Loveland Foundation is a nonprofit organization that helps black women access mental health resources through Therapy Fund (opens in new tab).