Trauma, growth and accountability: is your therapist DEIB ready?
As the new year begins, many of us find ourselves reflecting on what lies ahead while still carrying the weight of the year just passed. It’s a time to set intentions, embrace fresh starts, and navigate the emotions that often accompany transitions—hope for what’s to come, gratitude for what remains, and perhaps grief for what has been left behind.
Wherever you find yourself—whether facing new challenges, savoring moments of possibility, or holding space for both excitement and uncertainty—I hope you’re able to honor your needs and approach this new chapter with care.
As we explored in the first post of this series, The Deep End, honoring your needs is essential. Finding the right therapist can be a powerful step in that direction. Let’s explore how aligned therapeutic support can help carry you into the new year with greater intention and resilience.
Though we often hear that our work is deeply supportive and feels therapeutic to our clients, it is not therapy. For many of the leaders we partner with, having a supportive, aligned therapist can make a world of difference—especially when that therapist aligns with your DEIB journey.
Therapy can be a powerful container for processing the challenges and complexities of DEIB work, from trauma recovery to the development of accountability and resilience—and on that path, surfacing needs along the way. But finding the right therapist, one who truly understands and aligns with your DEIB journey, can be challenging.
Because I believe in you and your innate capacity to heal into your best experience of work, I’ll share seven key signs that your therapist may be equipped to support this work and explain how you can recognize if they're prepared to engage with the radical shifts this journey can bring.
7 Signs Your Therapist Supports Your DEIB Journey
They invite cultural and historical contexts into your conversations
A DEIB-aligned therapist understands that individual issues don’t exist in isolation. They consider your experiences within the broader historical and cultural framework, bringing awareness of the systemic factors that impact you as a leader and individual.
They’re comfortable naming and unpacking privileges and biases
Therapists with this awareness won’t shy away from discussing privilege, power, and how those factors may show up in your life or theirs. They’re willing to discuss how bias impacts everything from workplace interactions to the emotional layers in family dynamics.
They encourage accountability
A therapist who supports your DEIB journey helps you navigate accountability thoughtfully, whether you’re addressing harm you’ve caused or setting boundaries with others. They foster a safe space for you to recognize patterns and take ownership, rather than sweeping these essential growth areas aside. Hint: Therapists can engage in people-pleasing too! Is your therapist supporting you in asking the hard questions?
They value and explore collective accountability over individualism
Therapy is your space where you can explore all the depths of your individuality. But we live, work, and connect within context! In a society focused heavily on the individual, a DEIB-minded therapist understands the power of our place in our environment, in our communities, in the collective. They’ll help you amplify your capacity to think in terms of community, connection, collaboration, and accountability rather than seeing success as a solitary pursuit.
They embody their own growth journey
A DEIB-aligned therapist is continually expanding their awareness and commitment to inclusivity and decolonization within themselves. They’re actively engaged in self-reflection, therapy, or training that keeps them accountable to the values they support in you.
They’re able to address and integrate trauma
If they’re trauma-informed, they’re aware of how systemic trauma shapes behaviors, thoughts, and emotions, and they know how to guide you through recovery work that fosters personal and professional resilience that makes dreaming a new way of being possible.
They help you recognize and resist cultural constructs
A therapist who is prepared to support this work will help you identify and push against the limiting narratives imposed by dominant culture. They encourage you to create new measures of success, growth, and values outside of harmful, systemic constructs and, if relevant, may even help you connect to aspects of your own cultural or Indigenous identity.
And here’s the last piece I’d like to leave you with: If you hold marginalized identities (gender, age, race, ability, etc.), don’t hesitate to seek a therapist who not only shares some of your identities, but one who embodies the values and change work you want to bring into your life. A therapist who can relate to your experience on multiple levels can be an invaluable ally in your journey, understanding both the personal and systemic layers that impact your growth and healing.
Note: If you’re already working with a therapist, you can use this list as an invitation to deepen your conversations. Pay attention to their verbal and non-verbal cues: do they seem open, nervous, or unsure? Your care is important, and it’s okay if they’re not the right fit for this next stage of your journey. The right therapist will walk alongside you, providing the support you need to do your deepest, most transformative work.
Real talk: finding someone who takes your insurance, practices in your state, and has all of these qualities is not easy! But you are worthy of the effort.
It is my hope that amidst the stress and grief of this season, you find moments of peace, connection, and care for yourself. As you step into this new year, remember that your well-being is worthy of your time and attention. I wish you rest, healing, and renewal in the year ahead.
My favorite directories for finding a therapist
A comprehensive directory where you can filter therapists by location, insurance, specialties, and issues.
A platform dedicated to providing a space for Black women to find culturally competent therapists. It features a directory of therapists, articles, and resources.
An online directory that allows you to search for therapists by specialty and location, promoting ethical and inclusive practices.
A directory that connects clients with therapists who are multilingual and committed to social justice, equity, and inclusion.
National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN)
A network that provides a directory of queer and trans therapists of color, focusing on mental health support for LGBTQ+ communities.
While primarily a resource for mental health professionals, they offer tools and worksheets that can help clients identify their needs in therapy.
Recommended areas of practice to consider
When seeking a therapist, consider looking for practitioners who specialize in the following areas related to DEIB work:
Culturally Competent Therapy
Trauma-Informed Care
LGBTQIA+ Affirming Therapy
Anti-Racism and Equity Work
Intergenerational Trauma
Collective Healing
Already connected to a great therapist? Or need funds to start?
Donate. Apply. Engage.
Banner photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
Self-coaching for DEI Advocates and Leaders
Join us for a free weekly email series and check-in on co-creating real and lasting shifts towards diversity, equity, inclusion and antiracism at your company or organization.