Black therapists are getting on TikTok to connect with young Black and BIPOC users.

Black therapists are getting on TikTok to connect with young Black and BIPOC users. According to the American Psychological Association, only 4% of the overall psychological workforce in the U.S. is Black, while Black professionals make up 11% of psychologists younger than 36-years-old. In comparison, more than three-quarters of mental health counselors are White. Meanwhile, a behavioral health equity report from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that in 2019, only 36% of Black 12-17-year-olds who had major depressive episodes received treatment compared to more than half of their White peers. We told you that therapy is a profession taking over TikTok, but Black therapists are using the app to connect with young Black and BIPOC users. Shahem Mclaurin, who is Black and queer, say they want to speak to viewers who haven’t seeked help “because of stigmas surrounding therapy.” Many of Mclaurin’s videos cover everything from grief, “race/race-ism,” trauma, and call to actions amplifying people of color on the platform. Black therapist Kojo Sarfo dances and “acts out” skits about mental and eating disorders to lighten up topics that young people struggle to talk about, while Patrice Berry uses the app to answer questions about how to find new therapists and set boundaries. Her community on TikTok has grown so close that she formed an online group on Facebook for BIPOC users to connect with each other. (CNN)