How to Support Minority Clients Seeking Help

Source: Kristin Meekhof

One of the longest walks I ever took was from my car to the door of my therapist’s office. This incident happened just weeks after my husband died. A misdiagnosis with bronchitis turned tragic. He actually had advanced adrenal cancer. At the time, I was 33, stunned, horrified, and in a deep state of sorrow.

I remember sitting in the waiting room with a handful of others, and no one looked like me. In other words, I was the only Asian American present. What I didn’t know then, even as a licensed mental health professional, is how unusual it is for Asian Americans to seek mental health treatment. In fact, a National Latino and Asian American Study, as quoted in the American Psychological Association piece, found that “While 18 percent of the general U.S. population sought mental health services and resources, only 8.6 percent of Asian Americans did so. A related study found that white U.S. citizens take advantage of mental health services at three times the rate of Asian Americans.”

The study lists various reasons for the lack of mental health engagement, from cultural considerations to fears concerning the “model minority” myths to lack of access to services. As a Korean adoptee, I was raised in a Caucasian home, but lacked minority friends. I seldom felt like I fit in, and being a “minority” in one’s own family is a complex experience.

However, I know I’m not alone when I share that being an Asian American today, living through this pandemic is painful. Last June, as I walked masked into my local post office, I heard a woman behind me say “Stupid Chinese.” No one else was around. I knew she was talking to me.

When I share this story, I’m often misunderstood and later dismissed while attempting to voice my concerns. And not having someone who feels your story matters is painful. It impacts both your mental and physical health.

I believe one’s experiences are interconnected to their emotional and physical well-being. And understanding this link impacts the way we relate to others as well as ourselves. Certainly, a family member or colleague may influence the way we feel about a situation and our perception may even change.

How Mental Health Professionals Can Help

When one is struggling with suicidal thoughts, it can be because they feel nothing will change. They fear the despair will linger or get worse. Depression creates a blind spot, making it difficult to understand and know help is available. And as mental health professionals, it is important to ask how racial and cultural comments and experiences impact a person's overall well-being. Being sensitive and empathetic to these types of experiences helps to build trust within the therapeutic relationship.

Remember to deeply listen to your client's pain. Their pain will tell you why their experiences are so traumatic. Although, you may not see their narrative as traumatic, remember their brain and body may be processing this as a trauma.

And seek to understand how these experiences impact every aspect of their well-being—from their heart racing to not being able to focus to feeling unsafe. Your client doesn't need you to be a "neutral" voice. When the client is sharing a sensitive story, they are seeking comfort and empathy. The act of sharing the story also impacts their emotional wellness.

Healing is possible and receiving supportive and compassionate mental health treatment can make all the difference.