There used to be a time when African Americans believed that talking to a Therapist was something that only “white” folks did. We were groomed to believe that it was a waste of time and money to seek out guidance and advice from outside sources other than the Church. We were also taught that we could pray away any issues that we had. While I am not knocking the power of prayer in any way whatsoever but I am saying that God helps those who help themselves and in seeking help when you cannot handle life’s challenges is a means of helping yourself.
When I was younger I wanted to be a Child Psychologists. One of my main reasons for that was because I felt that their were a lot of children that didn’t have anyone to talk to and I wanted to be that outlet for them. That is another reason why I do what I do now. It is my way of still being that voice or that outlet for troubled youth.
As time, as well as our people have progressed, we as a people are now open to the idea of seeking therapy outside of the Church for issues that we can’t handle ourselves. I am happy to also see more men seeking therapy alone as well as with mates or groups. Finally the days are over when people seeking therapy had to come out of pocket to cover the expense. Many Insurance companies are now covering mental health therapy aside from the usual drug and alcohol addictions.
I also think that premarital and grief counseling are very good ideas. Premarital counseling helps couples talk about differences and issues that they may have before they walk down the isle thereby in some instances heading off potential problems before they can destroy the relationship.
Grief counseling is important because a lot of people, myself included suffer from survivor’s remorse. Survivor’s remorse is when you feel guilty because you are the one who didn’t die. I know that probably sounds insane to some of you but when you love someone so deeply sometimes you ask God to take you and leave them here. That was sort of my situation, that and questioning if I could have done anything else to save my husband. Those questions still haunt me today but I am getting better.
Again, I am so happy to see that the African American race is evolving and that we now understand that there is absolutely nothing wrong with seeking counseling when life’s challenges get to be too much for us to handle alone.
Knowing when you need help is nothing to be ashamed of. The shame comes in when you need help but you are too afraid to ask for it. Therapists can be very vital assets to your life so if you find yourself in need of help please seek out someone that can help you. Therapy may not only save your life but it may save the life of someone you love.
