Black History Month: Honoring Strength, Healing, and Mental Wellness in the African American Community

Each February, Black History Month invites us to reflect on the triumphs, resilience, and contributions of African Americans throughout U.S. history.  At Better Living Counseling Center, we also see this month as an opportunity to highlight an essential — and often overlooked — part of that legacy: mental health. Honoring our history means recognizing the psychological impact of slavery, segregation, systemic racism, and intergenerational trauma, while also celebrating the coping strategies, community bonds, and cultural strengths that have sustained Black communities for generations.

Why mental health matters in Black History Month

• Historical trauma shapes present-day well-being. Experiences of racism, economic exclusion, and discriminatory policies create chronic stress that affects mental and physical health across generations.
• Stigma and mistrust reduce access to care. Historical mistreatment by medical and psychiatric systems, plus cultural stigma around mental health, can make seeking help feel risky or shameful.
• Social determinants influence outcomes. Housing instability, employment discrimination, unequal schooling, and limited access to culturally competent providers all play a role in mental health disparities. Recognizing these realities doesn't weaken the story of strength — it deepens it. Addressing mental health is part of honoring survival and building a healthier future.

Common mental health challenges and barriers

• Depression, anxiety, and PTSD tied to trauma and chronic stress
• Grief compounded by community loss and violence
• Substance use as a coping mechanism for untreated mental pain
• Underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis due to cultural differences in symptom expression
• Fewer providers who understand cultural context and systemic factors

Cultural strengths that protect and promote wellness

• Strong family and kinship networks that provide emotional and practical support
• Faith communities and spiritual practices that offer meaning, ritual, and hope
• Community activism and collective resilience that foster purpose and empowerment
• Creative expression — music, storytelling, art — as powerful avenues for healing and processing trauma

What culturally competent care looks like

• Providers who understand historical and systemic influences on mental health
• Therapies that respect cultural values, include family or community when helpful, and integrate spirituality if preferred
• Trauma-informed approaches that prioritize safety, empowerment, and trust-building
• Use of strengths-based frameworks that acknowledge resilience and cultural assets

Practical steps for individuals, families, and communities

• Start conversations: Normalizing talk about feelings and stress within families and social circles reduces stigma and helps people get support sooner.
• Seek providers who reflect and respect your culture: Ask about therapist experience with race-based stress and cultural competence.
• Use community resources: Faith-based counseling, Black-led support groups, and culturally specific mental health organizations can be powerful complements to clinical care.
• Prioritize self-care: Sleep, nutrition, movement, creative practice, and time with supportive people matter for mental resilience.
• Advocate for change: Support policies and programs that address social determinants of health and expand access to culturally competent services.

How Better Living Counseling Center supports the African American community At Better Living Counseling Center we are committed to culturally responsive, trauma-informed care. Our practitioners:

• Engage with empathy and knowledge of how systemic racism and historical trauma affect mental health
• Offer individual, family, and group therapy tailored to cultural values and strengths
• Provide psychoeducation about coping with race-based stress, grief, and intergenerational trauma
• Partner with local faith leaders and community organizations to expand supportive networks

Steps to address bias and improve cultural competency:

• Commit to ongoing self-education: Read books, articles, and research by Black authors and scholars about history, race, and mental health.
• Test and reflect on implicit bias: Take validated implicit association tests, then journal about results and patterns you notice in behavior.
• Practice cultural humility: Approach interactions with curiosity, acknowledge limits of your knowledge, and ask open, respectful questions.
• Seek diverse perspectives: Follow Black clinicians, activists, writers, and community leaders on social media; attend public talks and panels.
• Engage in structured training: Participate in workshops on anti-racism, microaggressions, trauma-informed care, and culturally responsive therapy.
• Use supervision and peer consultation: Bring cases to supervision that focus on race-related dynamics and get feedback from diverse colleagues.
• Listen more, speak less: Prioritize listening to lived experience without centering yourself or offering premature solutions.
• Learn to recognize and address microaggressions: Practice naming behaviors, apologizing, and repairing when you've caused harm.
• Adapt your practices: Incorporate culturally relevant assessment tools, therapeutic approaches, and language preferences into care.
• Build partnerships with community organizations: Co-create services with Black-led groups to ensure relevance and trust.
• Measure and be accountable: Track client outcomes by race, solicit feedback, and set goals for improvement in equity and inclusion.
• Support diverse hiring and mentorship: Advocate for recruiting, retaining, and promoting Black clinicians and staff.
• Slow down decision-making: Give extra time for relationship-building and consent, recognizing trust may need to be rebuilt.
• Normalize feedback: Create safe ways for clients and colleagues to share concerns about cultural insensitivity.

A community call to action This Black History Month, let's honor the past by investing in mental health for the future. Start a conversation in your family or community, reach out for help when needed, and support efforts to expand accessible, culturally competent care. Healing is a collective act that advances well-being for individuals and strengthens the fabric of our communities.

If you or someone you love is struggling, Better Living Counseling Center is here. Contact us to learn about culturally competent services, support groups, and resources tailored for the African American community. Together we can build healing, resilience, and a brighter future.