why you’re there.
Hardy: My misconception going in was that she would be able to look at me and know how many sessions and doses of medication I would need to be better. I was hoping for an easy fix and that doesn’t exist.
Jolla: My misconceptions about therapy were few, yet still potentially off-putting. Because I was studying psychology at the time, there were plenty of things that I was well aware of, prior to attending. But one major misconception that I had was that I looked at therapists much like one would lump together doctors who practice & treat physical ailments, to say that any Ear, Nose, & Throat doctor can handle any patient that has Ear, Nose & Throat issues.
That is not necessarily the case with therapists, they are not one-size-fits-all.
Marshall: I shared a lot of the general misconceptions around therapy. Most notably, that to be in therapy means that there is something fundamentally wrong with me and the things I think, feel and believe.
How has therapy benefited you?
McGee: Therapy definitely has helped me express myself to an unbiased third party that can help me process my thoughts. I think sometimes people get lost in their own mind and need an extra person to guide them. For myself, I usually like to keep stuff in (emotional stuff) and it can sometimes hurt me or my relationships with people. This has really taught me about speaking out my problems, and just expressing myself in a healthy way.
Hardy: It showed me that having mental and emotional challenges doesn’t make me an ancestor-disappointing scumbag and that it’s okay to not be okay. Going through therapy, being open to new perspectives and paradigms, and being patient with myself through transition has helped me significantly over the past few years. Talking openly with my therapist and my community about my experiences and feelings has made thriving with these challenges less shameful and harrowing.
Therapy gave me tools to work through challenges and reframe self-defeating behavior and the way I talk to and about myself. Even though I still struggle, therapy helped me become far more aware of opportunities for improvement.
Jolla: Therapy has benefitted me in a multitude of ways. It has allowed me to better break down & unpack traumatic events in life without taking all of the shame & blame that may be attached. Also, I feel that my ability to be empathetic towards others increased three-fold.
Marshall: One word, mindfulness. I am much more in tune with my self and am now able to process traumatic and stressful moments in a healthy way.
What do you recommend for Black men who are on the fringe about therapy?
McGee: A lot of black men will avoid therapy because they think that it is only for weak or crazy people. Reaching out for help doesn’t make you weak. It means you recognize that you want to solve a problem, and you’re doing everything you can to do it.
Funny enough, I can even say look to