At Talkspace, we stand in solidarity with the Black community. We believe there is no place for racism, violence, or hatred and are committed to providing mental health support for those affected by the longstanding racial injustice in our country, punctuated by recent events. To foster safe spaces, facilitate constructive dialogue, and provide support for those in need, we are offering substantial financial assistance for therapy in the Black community. We see you, we hear you, and we stand with you. Stay tuned for more updates and support from Talkspace. #BlackLivesMatter
Talkspace Diversity and Inclusion Promise
Mental health conditions do not discriminate based upon race, gender, or identity. One in five people in the U.S. will struggle with a mental health issue at some point during their lives. In the Black community, mental health challenges can also result from witnessing and experiencing systemic racism. As a result, according to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, members of the Black community are more likely than other groups to experience serious psychological distress.
That said, only 30% of African American adults with mental illness receive treatment each year, compared to the U.S. average of 43%. Although experiences vary, some reasons for the discrepancy include:
- Skepticism in the Black community due to a history of misdiagnosis and discrimination, rationalized and weaponized via mental health treatment
- High costs and lack of information or familiarity with treatment options
- Heightened stigma related to asking for help
- Provider bias and lack of cultural competence in the delivery of therapy to African Americans
- A preference for and reliance upon community, faith, and spirituality
Talkspace Initiatives
Therapy Donation Program
- Talkspace will underwrite a $100k in-kind therapy donation for members of the Black community.
- To make the greatest impact, we are dispersing the therapy through partnerships with organizations that serve the Black community specifically.
Discounted Services
- Beyond the $100k donation for free therapy, we’re also offering an additional $100k in discounted therapy services for those who come to Talkspace citing trauma connected to racism.
Therapist Onboarding Initiative
- We have been actively working to increase the diversity of our network of therapists to better serve our client requests, to further our mission of “Therapy for All”, and meet the growing demand for mental health services.
Therapist Educational Efforts
- Culturally Responsive Therapy and Engagement Strategies for Diverse Clients Learning Group: Led by Dr. Reshawna Chapple, the purpose of this group is to support providers in their work with clients by discussing issues of race, racial trauma, and intersectionality. This will be an ongoing learning opportunity for our therapists.
- Our clinical team is exploring additional training opportunities for our providers to promote anti-racism and culturally responsive care.
Company Donation Match
- Talkspace will match any employee’s donation up to $10K to any of the following organizations: Bail Funds Project, ACLU, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Innocence Project, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, The National Urban League
Resources
Clinically Reviewed by How to Talk to Your Kids About BLM Protests and Race
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Clinically Reviewed by A Psychiatrist Explains Why Racism Is Not a Mental Illness
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Clinically Reviewed by How to Talk to Your Partner About Race
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Clinically Reviewed by Why You Shouldn’t Call the Police When Someone Is Having a Mental Health Crisis
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Clinically Reviewed by Racial Trauma at Work — Here’s What It Looks Like and How to Navigate It
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Clinically Reviewed by How To Stay Resilient in the Long-Term Fight For Racial Justice
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Clinically Reviewed by Books
- White Awake by Daniel Hill
- Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Tatum
- I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown
- Whistling Vivaldi by Claude Steel
- Me and White Supremacy by Layla F Saad
- So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
- Why I No Longer Talk to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Loge
- The Fire This Time by Jesmyn Ward
- Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi
- How to be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
- The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
- The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
- An Indigenous People’s History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
If you’re ordering any of the titles above, please consider doing so by supporting a Black-Owned Bookstore.
Articles
- 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
- Resources for White People to Learn and Talk About Race and Racism
- The 1619 Project
- The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism by Audre Lorde
- When Feminism is White Supremacy in Heels by Rachel Elizabeth Cargle
- Walking While Black by Garnette Cadogan
- The Case for Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Why Seeing Yourself Represented on Screen Is So Important by Kimberley Lawson
- Remember, No One is Coming to Save Us by Roxane Gay
Podcasts
Talkspace articles are written by experienced mental health-wellness contributors; they are grounded in scientific research and evidence-based practices. Articles are extensively reviewed by our team of clinical experts (therapists and psychiatrists of various specialties) to ensure content is accurate and on par with current industry standards.
Our goal at Talkspace is to provide the most up-to-date, valuable, and objective information on mental health-related topics in order to help readers make informed decisions.
Articles contain trusted third-party sources that are either directly linked to in the text or listed at the bottom to take readers directly to the source.
