The Convention Center has been jumping since doors opened on Friday for the ESSENCE Festival of Culture. But over at the Wellness House activation, at the Mind Over Matter booth fashioned into a room, things are quiet. Licensed clinical psychologist Chanda Reynolds, Pys.D. is providing a safe space for guests to come in to talk about things that have been on their minds, disagreements they’re having with others, and to just unload their struggles. Reynolds tells ESSENCE that most common though, has been guests seeking her help in finding a therapist who looks like them.
“The main thing I’m hearing is ‘I just don’t know how to locate somebody who’s Black,” she says. “I think it’s really important, specifically for Black people, because of the medical mistrust that we’ve experienced for decades and centuries, honestly. When we think about how our ancestors, how we’ve been taken advantage of by the medical system, then yeah, I’m going to have my guard up and no, I’m not going to go see a professional. I’m not going to see a doctor. But when Black people are providing the treatment, there’s a level of trust that’s established.”
Reynolds says being able to talk about more than just mental health and managing stress with a practitioner allows people to feel more comfortable with their therapist. So, what’s the first step to finding a Black therapist? She shared some of her go-to resources.
“We have various directories, such as Therapy for Black Girls, Therapy for Black Men, and the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, which is Taraji P. Henson’s nonprofit. She has a dope directory. There’s also Minds of the Culture, which is my non-profit. And I’ve also been leading people to the Psychology of Black Women, which is a class that I offer. I let people know, just come. We can work out something even if you don’t have the funds. I just want people to get the help that they need.”
She also shared that once people find a practitioner they’re interested in, if cost is a concern, they should ask about discounted rates, sliding scales, and more. And if one-on-one therapy isn’t accessible, she also recommends group therapy.
Whatever it takes though, Reynolds says it’s great to see so many Black women and men warm up to therapy and seek treatment, including by taking the first step at ESSENCE Festival.
“I think it’s been so amazing, even hearing today from people, older people who have experienced things like Katrina, things specific to New Orleans. ‘I’ve been dealing with this trauma for so many years,’ and even though this is isn’t therapy, they walked through the door,” Reynolds says. “That is so imperative because people are going through things; they’re experiencing the trauma, internalizing it, but they’re not unpacking it. And so it’s so important for us to be able to do that.”
