CLEVELAND, Ohio — We can't end the month of March, without saying thank you to social workers across Northeast Ohio. This is a month in which their community service is honored.
Stigma is the one obstacle Me'Chele Frierson and LaToya Logan confront every day.
"This negative attitude, connotation and belief that if you go to a therapist, then you are crazy," Frierson said.
The challenge is even greater within the Black community.
"Black men, we know that they're at greatest risk for all the worst social health determinants, but we don't seem to do anything about it," said Logan.
Both are licensed therapists committed to helping clients find positive solutions. The first step is often making that appointment. But findings out of McLean Hospital, a psychiatric facility of Harvard Medical School, paint a troubling picture.
It found only about 25 percent of Black Americans seek mental health services, compared to 40 percent of their white counterparts.
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I think that culture has a lot to do with maybe Black folks' attitudes, especially about mental health," said client Jasmine Burnett.
The death of her mother and a close friend prompted Burnett to seek help. Trust and understanding were critical.
"I went on a website called 'Therapy for Black Girls.' I saw Me'Chele Frierson and I said 'Okay, first of all, that undercut, those locks.' Feeling culturally safe in therapy is essential," Burnett said of talking to someone from the Black community.
Logan had her own motivation. Of her seven brothers, six have gone through the criminal justice system. And one brother was murdered. Logan founded Project Lift Services to address the trauma and pressure facing black men.
"It's a place where I know I am being listened to. I know that I am being acknowledged. I know that I am being cared for because I have people that see me for who I am and not just what, you know, the world sees," said LaDell Thedford, a Project Lift client.
"We ask questions and expect answers about things that they've never even spoken out loud to themselves. And so he really was open to that discomfort and is so incredibly intelligent and benefited greatly because every time he was challenged or felt that discomfort, instead of running away, he just leaned more into it," said Logan of the gains her client has seen.
The work is rewarding, but the rewards take work. It's all worth it when you can become the best version of yourself.
"More importantly it's going to help you heal through whatever is a barrier in you achieving your best life, your best version of yourself and truly embodying what it means to thrive," said Logan.
Learn more about Project Lift HERE.
Learn more about Therapy for Black Girls HERE.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above previously aired on Jan. 13, 2023.