Black People and Therapy: Healing our community

Chicago Healing Connection welcomes Dr. Peter St. John to discuss mental health in the Black community. Peter holds a doctorate from the University of Chicago in Sociology and is a full time Criminologist and Sociologist. He is also a full-time professor and chair of the department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at North Park University. With over 20 years of research and teaching experience, Dr. St. Jean is currently studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling. So, we decided to ask him a few questions related to his area of expertise.

1.  What must we consider about black people and mental health before we look into solutions for our disproportionate mental health issues? 

We need to remember that Black people are very diverse. We need to avoid applying stereotypes about Black people in general, or what we know or believe about certain Black people to dictate what we think we know, how we think about, how we feel towards, and how we act/react to the Black person that is before us. Black people come from many countries, faith backgrounds, cultural experiences, environmental settings, economic settings, physiological backgrounds, psychological profiles, political settings, social settings, and spiritual foundations. We need to consider all of these in the context of the person before us. Then, and only then, we can extrapolate to others beyond that person, if absolutely necessary.  

2. What is the root of the issue? 

Professionals have historically used research and treatment of others to apply to Black people. However, these applications may not be accurate or relevant to the black experience. Unfortunately, professions are often trained in explicit and implicit ways not to take neglect the pain and troubles of Black people. Instead, they often associate people of color with stereotypic assumption about matters that are their own faults, such as laziness, recklessness, pleasure seeking, being irresponsible, and the like. However, most Black people do not fit this stereotype, and they deserve unconditional positive regard and a fresh chance with every counselor despite the implicit bias of the provider.

3. Why do Black people have less access to mental health care? 

·         Access to mental health care is not often taught as something of importance to many people in the black community. Many students learn about the stereotypes of Black people, and where they fall on the spectrum of need, but are hardly encouraged or mentored to see services in that community as a worthwhile effort and develop the specific competencies for the mental health and wellness.

·         Black people have had a long history of distrust of mental health providers mainly because of real experiences with mistreatments.

·         In many aspects of Black culture, people have become accustomed to home-made approaches to addressing problems. This includes speaking with trusted relatives or friends, pastors or spiritual leaders, and attempting to working it out themselves. 

·         Black people often attempt to avoid being a burden to others. Therefore, even if they have the means to pay for services, they may not want to inconvenience others to partake in their healing process. 

·   Mental health is negatively stigmatized among some aspects of Black culture. For example, people may consider someone going to counseling as being weak and unable to handle life pressures well enough on their own. Although this is not true, the stigma pushes ideology of this nature.

4. What can we do to bridge the gap?

As a community, we need better educational outreach to address mental health and the associated stereotypes among people in various aspects of the Black community. Education always leads to meaningful change.

5. Why is mental health care stigmatized in the black community and how can we break the stigma? 

Mental health is stigmatized mainly through bad experiences with mental health providers, and those bad experiences being told, and sometimes exaggerated in the community. It is also stigmatized through name-calling (i.e. calling those that struggle with mental illness “crazy” etc.) All of these things lead to a negative view of therapy, even though therapy is for everyone. To break the stigma, the truthful good experiences with mental health care need to be made known and broadcasted far and wide in convincing ways within and among Black communities. 

6. Why are black men less likely to seek out mental health care (when they do have access or resources)? 

Black men are less likely to seek services due to real and/or perceived mistreatments, in mental health settings, or in physical health systems. It also has to do with the stigma, and the way some Black men are raised to “be tough and strong” and push past tears and emotional vulnerability.

7. What are some ways the black community can prioritize and improve their mental health?

As a community we must talk more about the needs for mental health care and how it has helped people from our Black communities. We must also provide real and truthful testimonies from real people, provide appropriate incentives, and find ways to celebrate breakthroughs with mental health treatment among people in various aspects of the Black community.