On Black Women and Mental Healthcare: A Request for the For Harriet Community

Dear For Harriet Family,

If you follow me on Twitter, you've seen that I am exceedingly candid about my continued journey to mental and emotional health. It is uncomfortable and at times embarrassing, but I'm honest because I have no other choice. Years of suffering in silence left me in a darkness so consuming that deep, candid self-reflection provides my only hope for liberation.

I have, of course, been meaning to write about my experiences as a depressed child for this website, but personal and professional distractions have kept me from it. Nevertheless, I admire and appreciate women like Daree and Michelle for sharing their stories.

A recent Twitter exchange left me feeling inspired to use this forum to do more to disseminate information about mental and emotional health in this space and beyond. This is an opportunity for the For Harriet community to truly make a difference.

Seeking treatment can be a daunting and frustrating process. A single bad experience with an unqualified or unprofessional treater can set you back months or even years, and solid referrals often mean the difference between failure and success.

I am asking that you share with us your mental healthcare resources. Have you ever received treatment for mental illness or emotional trauma? Please help a woman looking to take steps to change her life by providing a referral to your psychiatrist or psychologist.  Referrals can be anonymous and you can submit them via comment on this blog post or email at mentalhealth@forharriet.com. Please be sure to include the city where your treater is located. 

However, I do recognize that the economic barriers to mental healthcare can be just as prohibitive as the psychological, so I hope you will share the websites, blogs, books, movies, podcasts etc. that have helped you scale your emotional depths. These things are not meant to be substitutes for professional treatment but supplements.

We will compile all of the recommendations received so that there can be a single list of resources created by and for Black women. 

Thank you so much for your help.

With boundless love and admiration,

Kimberly Foster 

Editor in Chief
Kimberly@ForHarriet.com