It’s human nature to want to feel validated in your feelings and experiences, and therapy is a great avenue for feeling understood. Yet, our unique perspectives, cultures, and outlooks often impact our emotions and struggles, which means therapy must also be personal. Culturally competent therapists better understand the qualities and identifiers that make you unique, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and more. Below, we dive into the importance of culturally competent counseling and how you can take advantage of it.

Read More: Not Sure How to Get Started on Your Therapy Journey?

Cultural Competence Explained

You might feel like other people don’t understand your values, beliefs, or experiences. This is where cultural considerations come in. Cultural competence is a set of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that someone, like a mental health provider, can apply to effectively respond to and work with people with diverse backgrounds.
When used appropriately, cultural competence has a place in nearly every industry, from healthcare to education to business to social work. In therapy, a culturally competent therapist can be key in helping you feel safe and supported, especially when sharing vulnerable feelings or emotions. For some people, culturally competent care might mean understanding experiences through a lens of race or sexuality. For others, it might mean considering regional background or spoken language during care. Regardless of your unique identifiers, these elements can impact your communication approaches, attachment styles, triggers, and emotional responses.

Read More: The Relationship Between Culture and Communication Is Closer Than You Think

Why Culturally Sensitive Therapy Matters

Your therapist’s main goal is to help you feel validated, understood, and equipped to manage your emotions with the right tools. Culturally competent therapy means providing an added level of consideration and context to your sessions. Every person’s experiences are different, but below are some examples of what culturally sensitive care might look like:

• When your therapist seeks to understand terms and words you use from your culture that are not considered Standard English
• Helping you unpack microaggressions you’ve experienced because of your race or sexuality
• Validating your perspective on a topic through the lens of your gender expression
• Discussing what a mental health condition means to you, depending on your religion or culture

How Intersectionality Meets Therapy

People’s emotional or difficult experiences can be layered and involve more than one element of identity – this is called “intersectionality.” Understanding intersectionality is important for both you and your therapist because acknowledging people’s unique identifiers and experiences promotes improved policies, health approaches, self-care practices, and resources. There are many examples of intersectionality and how that relates to mental health, but the following are just a few examples:

• You might be feeling like your coworkers are treating you unfairly because of your race. You might also be afraid to speak up to your manager because you’re a woman and assume it’s better if you stay quiet. Your identities as a black person and a woman blend together to create this unique experience.
• You are a trans woman in college who is also Muslim and wears a hijab to cover your hair because of your religious beliefs. You might feel uncomfortable at school because some classmates tease you for wearing a hijab and also misgender you often. Your identities as a trans woman and a Muslim person impact your personal challenges in this setting.

Finding a culturally competent therapist who understands you on multiple levels is crucial to helping you address your layered mental health needs and feel safe during your sessions. The right therapist will talk you through different self-reflection practices to address your unique identities and backgrounds. When choosing a therapist, be sure you ask them their areas of expertise, test out how you feel when you unpack certain topics with them, and ask meaningful questions during the initial intake sessions to be sure you can build an effective relationship. 

Read More: Not Sure How to Find the Right Therapist? Start Here With Three Steps.

GoodTherapy Makes Finding Your Ideal Therapist Easy 

Finding a therapist you trust can be difficult, but GoodTherapy makes it easier. Our search filters help you find professionals who understand your background and apply culturally competent care to your conversations. Simply filter your search with information like:

• Location 
• Treatment type
• Telehealth or treatment center
• Therapist speciality

Plus, you can use our Therapy for BIPOC Individuals page to find a therapist who understands your different layers and experiences. We’re committed to providing inclusive resources for BIPOC individuals to get the help they deserve.

Getting the help you deserve doesn’t have to be complicated. Our licensed, highly-rated professionals are prepared to offer you personalized, culturally-informed care so you can be the best version of yourself.

Read More: Not Sure Which Type of Therapist Is Best for You? Explore Your Options 

Choosing the Right Therapist is Important.

By Dr. Denise Renye MED, MA, PSYD

With so many therapists in the world, how do you know which one is right for you?

After all, you’ll be sharing the deepest, most vulnerable parts of yourself with this person so it’s important they’re a good match. Not everyone has the privilege to be in a position to be able to choose whom they work with, but if you are able to pick your therapist, here are some tips.  

 1. Be Selective

When you’re in psychological or emotional pain, it’s tempting to book a session with whatever therapist has the soonest availability, but that’s a mistake. As I’ve written about on my own blog, the therapeutic relationship is a special one. It’s unique and not to be found anywhere in the typical social world. For some, a therapist is the first or perhaps only secure attachment figure in their life.  

A secure attachment figure is someone who provides a safe physical and emotional environment for interaction. They are people clients can count on, someone they can express their innermost thoughts to, a person that holds space for feelings and processing feelings without shame, blame, or judgment. The healing happens in the space between the hearts and minds and spirits of the patient and the therapist. The relationship is the healing container.    

Therapy is built upon a relationship and the relationship is where and how healing happens. What that means is you can’t work with just anybody. Are you close friends with just anyone? Do you date just anyone? Probably not. Just as you recognize you mesh well with certain people and not others, the same applies to therapists. Pick someone you feel comfortable with, someone who sees and understands you. Otherwise, the relationship will stall your healing at best and could cause harm at worst.  

2. Have an Intention in Mind

Just as with many things in life, having an intention and focus helps you refine what you’re looking for. Your intention in therapy doesn’t have to be specific, such as, “I want to get over the trauma that happened to me at 15.” It could be that, but it also could be general, such as, “I want to feel less anxious.” If you enter the therapeutic process knowing what you’d like to focus on, that will make it easier for you to find someone who specializes in what you’re looking for. 

A note here, therapy often takes a circuitous route and while you may enter therapy for one thing, you might find there are other issues you were unaware of cropping up in your time together with the therapist. In other words, it may seem tangential to talk about your childhood if you feel anxious about making new friends, but the therapist has their reasons for helping you look within in a certain manner. And if you want to know those reasons, ask! You don’t have to stay in the dark about what’s happening in sessions.  

3. Ask Questions

The initial intake is the time for you to learn more about the therapist as much as it’s the time for the therapist to learn about you. During the initial meeting, ask what their approach is, if and how they’ve helped other people like you, and how much experience they have. Also ask more detailed and specific questions about how they work as a therapist. If you don’t know the term describing their approach, say so and ask them for more clarity.  

Maybe you already know that you want someone who works in a trauma-informed way, or it’s important that they’re accepting of your sexual orientation. Whatever it is, ask questions and learn more about the therapeutic approach and what sessions are like with that therapist.  

As you hear them share about their approach, how do you feel in your body? The body is a built-in barometer of your internal state. Typically, when a person is relaxed, they breathe deeply and slowly in their stomach. Typically, when a person is anxious or stressed, they breathe shallowly and rapidly in their chest. What’s your body doing as you’re chatting with this therapist? Pay attention to those signals because they provide crucial information. This information may be the most crucial you receive when you are seeking out a therapeutic relationship.  

Some other signs to watch out for: 

• Does the therapist interrupt you while you’re talking?  

• Do they respect your time? 
• Do they have a solid knowledge of what you are asking for help with? 
• Does their training level and years of experience meet your expectations? 
• Does the therapist brush off, minimize, or invalidate your concerns? 

If spot any red flags during the phone consult or during the first session, this is not the person you want to work with. You are worthy and deserving of someone who respects you, listens to you, and wants to support you on your healing journey. Remember, this is all about finding the right match. The therapist your best friend raves about may not be the therapist for you. Take your time with this process because this is a person you’ll intimately talk with weekly for months, if not years. You’ll save yourself time and energy in the long run if you do the footwork now.  

The GoodTherapy Registry might be helpful to you. We have thousands of Therapists listed with us who would love to help you on your journey. Find the support you need today.

Pursuing psychotherapy is a brave endeavor indeed. Many people make this choice when they find themselves in a dark place and are unable to see any light ahead of them.

In order to even begin the process of finding a therapist, you may first have to confront societal and internal judgments (“I must be sick.” “What’s wrong with me that I need to do this?” and so on). After that, you then find yourself attempting to choose a complete stranger who you will entrust with your innermost thoughts. If you haven’t sought therapy before, you may feel overwhelmed and as if you are stepping into the unknown. You might feel anxious or afraid and be unsure of the best way to proceed.

If you are experiencing serious distress, you may have gone as far as you can by yourself, or with the support of friends and family, and done as much as possible in order to improve on your own. You may feel as if you have no further choice beyond therapy.

Whatever your reasons for choosing therapy, however you get to the therapy office, I have a tremendous faith in the psychotherapeutic process. When a therapist and the person seeking help can earnestly work together to explore the person’s inner world, utilizing the contact made between the two of them (the therapeutic relationship), greater insight and an increased ability to address and work through inner conflicts is likely, and maturation often follows.

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I don’t think that every therapy process is successful, however. A number of unconscious forces may be at work, in either the person seeking help or the therapist attempting to help them, and any of these might effectively derail therapy.

Keeping the following eight points in mind, from the time you begin therapy and throughout the process, may help you make the best of your choice to seek help—and get the most out of your therapy sessions.

1. Therapy starts when you decide to seek therapy.

Take your search for a therapist seriously. Try to get a few names of potential therapists you can then interview. Taking the time to be thorough and control your search better enables you to find the therapist who fits you best, not only with regard to the specific issues bringing you to therapy, but also with regard to your personality and identity.

Some mental health professionals offer a first consultation over the phone, free of charge. Take advantage of this, if possible. You may be able to get a feel for their manner and personality, and at the very least, rule out some who may not be ideal for you and your needs.

2. Allow yourself the time to assess the fit of your therapist.

If you are in distress, you may be anxious to begin therapy and alleviate some of what you are struggling with. This is a common feeling. You might want to just choose a therapist at random and fall right into the process of therapy. While this can work for some people, it is often best to consider the first few sessions as a mutual assessment and use them to get a felt sense of whether this therapist not only listens, but hears what you have to say, and if this is a helping professional you feel comfortable with. Doing so is likely to greatly increase the chances for a good therapeutic alliance and eventually, success with treatment.

That being said, listen to your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s generally best to move on in your search.

3. Take some time in the beginning to think about your goals for therapy.

Although therapy can take unexpected twists and turns, you can establish a more definitive direction to continue to assess the therapy if you establish goals in the beginning and keep these in mind throughout your work with a therapist. Goals might include minimizing painful symptoms, gaining insight, or pursuing transformation, among others. Regardless of what goals look like for you, they can often serve as a guide when therapy seems aimless.

Regardless of the number of therapy sessions you attend each week, you can maximize the benefits of treatment if you take the time to reflect on what you talked about in the session and—even more importantly—what you felt during and after each session.

4. Share your doubts, fears, concerns, and hopes.

You might be surprised to learn many people don’t share their doubts, fears, concerns, or even hopes with their therapist, perhaps because doing so might feel scary. But I say it can be well worth the risk! These feelings are deep expressions of you, and they can help your therapist know your particular vulnerabilities and become more informed about what you need from your therapy.

If your therapist reacts negatively to these feelings, this is often a red flag they might not be a good fit for your needs.

5. Talk to others who are receiving or have received “good” therapies.

It can be helpful to talk to friends or family members who have had a positive therapy experience. It’s possible to discuss this without exchanging details that may be too personal or private. You might simply ask what helped them most in their experience, or what detail(s) made their therapist a good fit. Although every therapeutic relationship will be unique, there are some universal aspects of good therapy you can look for.

6. If you don’t like something your therapist says, tell them. If you really like something your therapist says, tell them.

It is very possible that, if you are suffering or experiencing distress as an adult, your injuries were originally sustained within the context of your early relationships with caretakers. Thus, opportunities for healing are often greatest within the context of a relationship. Because of this, it is important to share feelings of hurt, anger, or disappointment, along with more positive feelings, with your therapist. This feedback is helpful, and can be essential, as it helps your therapist get to know you better and gain greater understanding of what you need from therapy.

7. Try to reflect on each session in between sessions. Share those thoughts with your therapist.

Regardless of the number of therapy sessions you attend each week, you can maximize the benefits of treatment if you take the time to reflect on what you talked about in the session and—even more importantly—what you felt during and after each session. These feelings often communicate something important about what is happening on an unconscious level during the therapy process.

8. Reflect on your goals from time to time during the therapy.

Use your goals as signposts from time to time. Beyond simply keeping them in mind, take the time to really consider them. Checking in on how things are going, with yourself and with the therapist, can be helpful. Doing so can allow you to recalibrate with your therapist, if necessary, in order to stay on course.

Therapy can be a lengthy process. It may be difficult at times, but keeping these tips in mind can help you increase your chances of success and make it more likely you will find the challenge of seeking treatment to be a rewarding one. Therapy can work for you, as much as you work for it.

I wish you the best in your therapeutic endeavors.