It can be really helpful to work with a therapist who shares your background, has experience supporting people from your community, or is trained to be open to, respect, and take into account your identity and lived experience.

Learn more about the benefits of finding a therapist who understands your cultural background, and consider the tips below:

Talk with more than one therapist if you can. Speaking with a few different therapists can help you get a sense of whether they might be a good fit.

Ask questions. Some questions you could ask prospective therapists include:

• Have you worked with anyone from my cultural background?
• Have you had training in race-related stress or cultural humility (understanding that identities are complex and that even in sameness there are differences)?
• Are you comfortable discussing racism, bias, and discrimination, and how they can affect mental health?

Reflect on their answers. Did they seem comfortable answering your questions? Did you feel safe and supported in the conversation? Therapy is most successful when you have a good fit, so trust your gut and make a switch if you need to.

Find these tips and more from The Jed Foundation here.

There are lots of ways to find low- or no-cost mental health care. Not sure where to begin? Here are 7 ways to find affordable mental health care options from The Jed Foundation, many of which are free.

You can also explore local psychoanalytic institutes, which often have training clinics that offer reduced fee therapy.

Another option is the Open Path Collective, a nonprofit network of mental health providers in all 50 states and Canada that provides inclusive and deeply reduced-cost therapy.

Learn more about different types of therapy and browse resources to find a therapist that best fits your identity, location, and unique needs here.

There are a number of organizations that offer therapist directories and services tailored to specific communities:

• The Asian Mental Health Collective offers a directory of therapists serving the Asian American community.
• The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation curates a directory of local mental health providers and healing programs serving the Black community.
• Free Black Therapy connects Black and African American individuals who lack adequate funds or health insurance with free therapy options.
• Inclusive Therapists offers a safe, simple way to find a culturally responsive, social justice-oriented therapist.
• Latinx Therapy provides a directory of Latinx Therapists and other resources for easier accessibility to services.
• National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN) works to increase access to healing resources for QTPOC.
• South Asian Mental Health Initiative and Network (SAMHIN) offers support groups, a directory of South Asian mental health providers and a helpline.