July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. It’s a time dedicated to raising awareness about the unique mental health challenges faced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. This month, Meadows Counseling invites everyone, regardless of their background to join the conversation, learn, and act for a more inclusive approach to mental wellness.

Its inception happened in honor of author and mental health advocate Bebe Moore Campbell, who was an American author, journalist, and teacher. She wrote three New York Times bestsellers: Brothers and Sisters, Singing in the Comeback Choir, and What You Owe Me.

Being a Black therapist and founder of Meadows Counseling Group, daily I witness how generational trauma, systemic racism, and stigma create barriers to mental wellness. While conversations around mental health have grown in recent years, too many in Black BIPOC communities suffer silently because of inaccessibility to care or they don’t want to be looked at as weak.

I’m here to change that. Statistics show the disparity: Black and Hispanic adults are significantly less likely to receive mental health care than their white counterparts. Asian Americans are about 60% less likely. These percentages mean real people, with real families don’t get the help they need. Mental illness doesn’t discriminate, but access to care often does.

One important concept to understand this month is minority stress, the chronic mental and emotional strain that comes from navigating a world where your identity is marginalized. While overt racism is harmful, it’s arguable covert racism is worse. It sits just beneath the surface in the grey area of being known but explained away by plausible deniability. These stressors show up as anxiety, depression, burnout, and even physical symptoms.

That’s why culturally informed therapy is so critical. Healing is possible when people feel seen, heard, and respected. At Meadows Counseling Group, our approach centers on cultural humility and client-centered care, ensuring that therapy is not just clinical but personal, affirming, and empowering.

This July, I encourage everyone to learn more about the origins of Minority Mental Health Month. Have honest conversations with loved ones about therapy. Support organizations doing this important work like BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective), Latinx Therapy, and the Asian Mental Health Collective.

I also invite you to reflect on your own journey. Whether you're a mom juggling multiple roles, a student trying to find your way, or a professional facing burnout, your mental health matters. It is okay to ask for help. It is brave to begin healing. And it is powerful to know that you don’t have to do it alone.

Make this July different. It’s not just another month; it can become a movement. A movement encouraging people to seek therapy because it works. Representation matters. Healing matters.

If you're ready to start your healing journey, I'm here and so is my team.