Sankofa Wellness

Many people who are seeking mental health services want to work with someone who can understand them. This is crucial because making long-lasting personal change often involves being very open and vulnerable with someone who is essentially a stranger. That is why feeling confident that you will be understood by the psychologist or psychotherapist you choose to work with is so important.

When you add in the issues of anti-Black racism and discrimination, it becomes even more important to have a mental health care provider who understands what it is like to experience that. Someone who has never felt the sting of a micro-aggression or the fear of seeing people like yourself disproportionately hurt by law enforcement would have a much harder time empathizing than someone who has had those experiences. This is why having Black psychologists and Black psychotherapists in the health care system is so important.

This is especially relevant in the Canadian context. According to Statistics Canada, The Black population now accounts for 4.3% of Canada's total population and 16.1% of the radicalized population. According to the population projections from Statistics Canada, the Black population could double from 1.5 million in 2021 to more than 3.0 million in 2041. The five most black-populated provinces in 2021 were Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba. The 10 most black-populated census metropolitan areas were Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Hamilton, Oshawa, and Québec City.

One article from the CBC news states that we need to have more Black psychologists in Canada. Psychologists differ from psychotherapists in that they can diagnose people with mental health disorders. Research has shown that anti-Black racism and prejudice has contributed to misdiagnosis and over-diagnosis of Black individuals. Having more Black psychologist in cities where their the number of Black residents are higher (e.g., Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Oshawa, etc.) could lessen the risk of Black people being misdiagnosed or inappropriately diagnosed.

If you are someone who lives in Ontario and you are interested in working with a Black psychologist, then you can consider receiving services at Sankofa Wellness. Our services are provided by Dr. Renée Taylor. She is a psychologist who works with adults and couples. She can provide treatment and diagnoses. In addition, she is a Black woman of Jamaican descent. If you are interested in learning more about her you can click here.