A charity giving mental health support to the Black community
Our friends at Black Minds Matter (BMM) are doing amazing things to open the conversation around Black individuals mental health! Their mission is to connect individuals in the Black community with free mental health support and therapies run by experienced Black therapists. Founded in June 2020 amidst the Coronavirus pandemic and the highly publicised police brutality in the US and Black Lives Matter movement, BMM has now raised over £800,000 to provide over 1500 courses of therapy!
Research shows that if a Black person’s experience does not resonate with their white therapist, it can often lead to a misdiagnosis. However, Black therapists are currently underrepresented within UK mental health services. BMM want to make mental health care more accessible to those within BAME communities, as stigma has made it less likely for people to see therapy as a valid option.
Founders Agnes and Annie want to cause a shift in UK mental health services to make them more relevant to the Black community and provide them with safer spaces to communicate, without the potential barriers of differing cultural and traditional beliefs. Racial trauma can have psychological effects such as those of PTSD, however racial discrimination and the potential for this type of trauma is ongoing - this is sadly often overlooked in the UK mental health system, and is something that BMM aims to change.
BMM amplifies Black voices by sharing their inspiring stories in their Journal, through their initiative ‘Black Thoughts Matter’. They also have a great Instagram page where they publicise free mental health resources and showcase Black art with their project entitled ‘Blackground of the Week’, to promote both mental well-being and Black talent.
BMM addresses some of the many barriers that Black individuals face when struggling with their mental health and trying to access care. We’ve started discussions with BMM to talk about how we can work together as we are both believers in the power of therapy and for anyone bereaved within the BIPOC community, we want to ensure we have the most appropriate, effective support and resources available.
