Black Mental Health Matters: An Innovative Resource at a University Counseling Center

Abstract

As many of the articles appearing in this special issue describe, during the year of 2020, the United States faced significant health and socio-political challenges as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the racial injustices suffered by Black communities. These larger social issues further intensified Black students’ mental health concerns, both those common to all college students and those specific to race-related stress and race related trauma on college and university campuses. In this article, we explore the intersectional challenges Black students confront and how these challenges create unique race related stressors for these students while navigating a predominately White institution (PWI). We then discuss barriers to help-seeking behaviors and culturally specific coping strategies and conclude by suggesting the importance of developing non-traditional therapeutic means, such as mental health podcast episodes, to mitigate Black students’ barriers to access, validate their lived experiences, and promote their overall wellbeing.