BIPOC Therapy

Therapy for BIPOC individuals is essential for addressing unique cultural challenges and promoting healing in a safe, affirming space.

As clinicians of color, we know how painful and difficult it can be navigating one’s racial identity. As a Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color, you deserve therapy that honors your racial identity and addresses the unique experiences and challenges you face. Whether you're embracing or navigating your racial identity, we here to empower you along your journey.

The current political climate has made therapy for BIPOC people more crucial than ever. With rising racial tensions, increasing hate crimes, and policies that disproportionately affect marginalized communities, the emotional toll on BIPOC individuals is undeniable. These challenges can contribute to heightened stress, anxiety, and trauma, making it essential to have access to therapy that is not only culturally competent but also responsive to the specific issues BIPOC individuals face.

Are you Facing any of the following Unique Stressors of BIPOC Individuals?

  • Frustration with microaggressions (You’re so well-spoken for a [insert race/ethnicity])

  • Fear of racism, discrimination, and/or retaliation

  • Feeling pressure to “represent” your racial group favorably

  • Mixed race identity struggles (ex: confusion about where you “belong”, racial “passing”, colorism)

  • Difficulty navigating multiple cultural identities

  • Feeling like you’re living between two worlds (first generation)

  • Feeling not [insert race/ethnicity] enough

  • Exhausted from the code switching

  • Navigating intersectionality (women of color, LGBTQIA+ and those with disabilities)

  • Feeling like you need to fit into a certain mold or behave in a way that aligns with specific racial or cultural expectations

  • Navigating stress and conflict within interracial relationships and raising mixed race children

  • Immigration acculturation and adaptation and/or visa stress

  • Being the only or one of the few [insert race/ethnicity] in the room

  • Hopelessness and stress post-election

  • Working in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and DEI fatigue

  • Attending Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) for undergraduate and graduate students

BIPOC & Mental Health Struggles

For BIPOC individuals, mental health challenges are often compounded by systemic issues like racism, discrimination, and historical trauma. Studies show that BIPOC are more likely to experience mental health struggles due to these factors. For example, research reveals that nearly 40% of Black Americans report feeling emotionally distressed from racial discrimination, and Indigenous communities face higher rates of depression and suicide, particularly among youth. Data from Stop AAPI Hate reported online hate incidents increased by 66% with over a 50% rise in threats of violence since the 2024 election.

Unfortunately, these struggles are sometimes minimized or overlooked, and access to culturally competent mental health care is limited. BIPOC individuals are also less likely to seek help, partly due to stigma or the lack of providers who truly understand their experiences. This creates a cycle where mental health issues often go unaddressed, making it even harder to break through those barriers.

Finding support that understands and affirms these experiences is so important for healing and growth.

Mental health struggles are real, and they deserve to be addressed in a way that acknowledges the full picture and all parts of you.

How BIPOC Therapy With EMTG Can Help

  • Healing from Racial Trauma: Many of us experience microaggressions, discrimination, and racism, which can lead to emotional and psychological wounds. Therapy can help process these experiences, reduce their emotional impact, and build resilience.

  • Empowerment and Self-Identity: Therapy can help you explore and embrace your cultural identity, strengths, and values, fostering a sense of pride and confidence in who you are.

  • Building coping strategies and emotional regulation to have healthier ways to manage unique stressors/triggers, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation.

  • Improving relationships by learning communication skills, handling conflicts better, and improving relationships with family, friends, and colleagues.

  • Building resilience: Developing the ability to bounce back from setbacks, failures, or difficult racial experiences.

  • Reducing Internalized Racism or Colorism: Due to negative messages we hear, BIPOC individuals may internalize negative beliefs about their racial or ethnic group, significantly impacting Self-esteem. Therapy can help challenge and shift these internalized beliefs to promote healthier self-perceptions.

  • Identity development & Intersectionality: Exploring and understanding one’s personal identity, including--race, sexual orientation, gender, cultural identity and how they intersect/overlap

  • Support navigating interracial relationships and/or raising a mixed-race child.

Therapeutic Techniques for BIPOC Therapy

As therapists who understand cultural nuances, we offer more personalized and effective treatment. Our approach to BIPOC therapy is integrative, using a blend of evidence-based practices with validation and empathy:

  • Culturally Affirmative/Multicultural Therapy prioritizes your background and all of your identities so you feel seen and validated in your experiences.

  • Trauma-Informed Therapy helps you process and heal from racial trauma and discrimination negatively impacting your mental health.

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you challenge unhelpful thinking patterns and core beliefs you have about yourself due to your experiences of racism.

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) provides skills to manage intense emotions and develop emotional regulation.

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps you identify your values and goals and how to align them with your actions despite living in a discriminatory environment.  

About Dr. Shaneze Gayle Smith

Read More About Me

Education

  • PhD in Clinical Psychology, Seton Hall University (Health Psychology & Child/Adolescent Focus)

  • Psychology Residency, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center

  • MS in Forensic Psychology, Walden University

  • Medical School (3 years), Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School

  • BA in Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University

I am licensed to provide therapy in 41 states and would be honored to support you on your journey towards self-growth and healing.

As a Black and Latina mixed race first-generation American, I often felt like I didn’t fit into “one” box not being enough of any of my identities. It was difficult navigating the pressure of balancing the cultural values and expectations of my family's heritage with the expectations of American society (collectivist vs individualistic).  Having navigated spaces where I was the only one who looked like me in the room, I think it’s so important to have a space where you feel safe to process all parts of your identity. Together, we’ll help you cultivate self-acceptance of who you are, set boundaries, discover pathways for activism and recover from burnout.

I have expertise working with interracial couples or those navigating different cultures. I also have expertise in working with mixed race families and raising children who are mixed race and/or have different cultural backgrounds than parents.

Credentials

  • Advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and use of these theoretical approaches with anti-racist perspective.

  • Trained by experts in the field in multicultural therapy & multicultural competency for clinicians.

  • Expertise in social justice lens for marginalized groups

About Vernee Brooks, LPC, LMHC

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Education

  • M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Walden University

  • BA in Psychology, Rutgers University

I am licensed for therapy in New Jersey & Texas.

As a Black female therapist, I am deeply passionate about supporting Black women who are navigating the complexities of racial trauma, identity struggles, and the intersections of race, gender, and culture. I understand firsthand the unique pressures we face in a world that often marginalizes us, and I am committed to providing a space where Black women can feel seen, heard, and empowered. My work centers on acknowledging and validating the pain that comes with racial injustice, while also celebrating the strength, resilience, and beauty inherent in our identities. I believe in the importance of unpacking the layers of intersectionality—how race, gender, class, and other aspects of our identities shape our experiences and mental health. Through our work together, I aim to help clients reclaim their power, embrace their authentic selves, and heal from the trauma that can often feel too heavy to carry alone. Sis, it’s an honor to walk alongside you on your journey to self-discovery, healing, and empowerment.

Credentials

  • Advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

  • Expertise in anxiety and panic attacks due to race-related stressors particularly for Black women, BIPOC identity exploration, and body image issues.

BIPOC Therapy FAQs

  • A: A therapist who understands or shares your cultural background can provide a more empathetic, relevant, and effective approach to therapy. They are likely to be more sensitive to cultural nuances and systemic issues that might affect your mental health, such as racial trauma, discrimination, and acculturation stress. This understanding can help foster a stronger therapeutic alliance and create a safe space for you to express yourself.

  • A: Therapy should be a safe and validating space where you can discuss any challenges you face, including those related to your racial or ethnic identity. As culturally competent therapists, we will recognize and honor the importance of your background, whether discussing racial trauma, microaggressions, or navigating multiple cultural identities. We are open to exploring how systemic oppression may impact your mental health.

  • We go at your pace! We strive to help our clients feel empowered and part of that is respecting boundaries that you set. It’s understandable to feel hesitant about discussing your race or cultural background, and the hope is once you feel like you’re in a safe and open environment, you’ll feel comfortable to share. If you ever feel uncomfortable or unsure, please tell us. We’re in this together.

  • A: Therapy can help you explore the different aspects of your identity, including how your culture influences your values, relationships, and goals. Together, we can navigate any conflicts you may feel between honoring your cultural background and adapting to societal expectations, offering support in finding a balance that aligns with your true self.