Mental Health Resources
Black mental health matters. We have compiled the list of resources below in collaboration with the Black & Latinx Student Caucus at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. This list draws inspiration from an article written by Zahra Barnes titled 44 Mental Health Resources for Black People Trying to Survive in This Country.
- Virtual Support Groups
- These virtual support spaces are open to students who have paid the Columbia Health and Related Services Fee.
- Nightline Peer Listening: A peer listening service offered by trained and certified undergraduate Columbia students, meant to support callers with stress and mental wellbeing.
- Check emails from the Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion for community processing spaces organized by Dean Karma Lowe and DEI Program Coordinator Christopher Won
- Real to the People - This company was founded in March 2020 and holds space four times a week for people to grieve, feel, connect, and process what they’re going through. Each Session is curated for specific demographics, open to all nationwide, and completely free of charge.
- Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation - This foundation was founded in 2018 with a vision to eradicate the stigma around mental health issues in the African American community. They are offering free virtual therapy on a first serve basis until all funds are committed or exhausted.
- The Steve Fund - For young students of color. Text STEVE to 741741 for a live, trained Crisis Counselor
*Indicates that services are also offered virtually
- Black Men Heal - Pennsylvania - provides access to group and individual therapy and mental health resources to men of color
- Black Mental Health Alliance - Nationwide
- BPGNY - Tri-state area - expanded access to psychiatric care for people of the African Diaspora
- Melanin and Mental Health - Nationwide
- National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network - Nationwide - also offering financial assistance to QTPoC through their Mental Health Fund
- *Counseling Space - New York - counseling for business owners and professionals working in high stressful environments
- *Henry Health - Virginia, Maryland, D.C., but currently expanding
- *Inclusive Therapists - Nationwide
- *Open Path Collective - Nationwide - offering a steeply reduced rates to individuals, couples, children, and families
- *Sista Afya Community Mental Wellness - Illinois
- *Therapy for Black Girls - Nationwide
Many of these healing spaces are currently offering online services such as live yoga and meditation videos.
- Brave Space Alliance - Chicago based space offering support groups, job resources, and more for LGBTQ BIPOC on the South Side of Chicago
- Ethel's Club - Brooklyn based social and wellness clubhouse for POC
- Heal Haus - Brooklyn based and inclusive wellness space with a cafe and meditation/yoga classes.
- MINKA - Brooklyn based community wellness space offering a wide range of healing therapies such as massages, meditation, acupuncture, and herbal remedies
- Ebony Tower - Action Lab's own podcast. Each episode explores the nexus between power and the production of knowledge in academic disciplines by taking up the following: What responsibility does academia have to social justice? What exactly are the historic practices of white supremacy, colonialism and anti-Blackness and how, if at all, do they manifest in higher education? How does higher education reproduce and uphold structures of racism through academic practice and knowledge production?
- Balanced Black Girl
- Body Trauma Podcast
- Brown Girl Self Care
- Ourselves Black
- Melanin and Mental Health
- Therapy for Black Girls
- American Psychological Association - List of resources for individuals experiencing racism
- Annodright - Dr. Donna seeks to assist Black women and couples in finding their sexual freedom. Her site offers a blog and a couple of free webinars
- Balanced Black Girl - Blog about wellness, self-care, and self-love for Black women
- Black Emotional and Mental Health - Educational toolkits, online events, and more hosted by a collective of advocates, yoga teachers, artists, therapists, lawyers, religious leaders, teachers, psychologists and activists committed to the emotional/mental health and healing of Black communities
- Black Mental Health Alliance - Educational tools, workshops, programs, and professional networks for clinicians
- Black Mental Wellness - Informational sheets and suggested podcasts for coping and wellness strategies
- Black Women's Health Imperative - Articles and FAQs for health and wellness
- Brown Girl Self Care - Self-care resources for Black women
- Constellation - A national, member-based, Black reproductive health, rights, and justice network that connects, aligns, and weaves dynamic, Black repro leaders and movements towards collective power, bold leadership, and visionary action.
- Decolonizing Therapy - Dr. Jennifer Mullan’s collection of mental health resources
- Dr. Jennifer Mullan - Dr. Jennifer Mullan provides decolonized therapeutic coaching to groups and helping professionals, workshops, and annual retreats
- Holistic Black Healing Collective - Offers a monthly membership to commune with other Black and Brown peers towards the aim of collective liberation
- How to Talk to Your Kids About the Chaos Happening at the Capitol - A National Geographic article that talks about the events at the U.S. Capitol which caused fear and confusion, and how to help children make sense of it all.
- Layla Helwa Offers Guidance on Processing the Capitol Invasion on January 6, 2020
- Ourselves Black - Stories, blogs, an online magazine, and more
- Pear Deck's Guide to Processing for Elementary School Aged Children
- Sad Girls Club - Articles and stories about mental health, motherhood, love, and spirituality
- Sista Afya Community Mental Wellness - Resources on finding support and healing services for Black women across the African Diaspora
- Sunshine Behavioral Health - Introduction to mental health issues facing the Black community and resources for quick and immediate mental health support
- The Breathing Space - Follow their instagram for information about upcoming events
- The Steve Fund - Toolkit for practitioners working with young students of color
- Umoja Circles - Free and remote group processing support provided by Columbia School of Social Work Action Lab through a trained practitioner of Color
American Addiction Services - Nationwide - dedicated to helping people with their mental health and substance abuse problems.