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When Sheryl moved back to Toronto, she found herself looking for a place to live in the city where she grew up but hadn’t lived for 30 years. Navigating a new job, reconnecting with family, and managing the rising costs of living felt stressful and difficult to face on her own. She needed someone to talk to.

She sought support, first from Black community pages on social media. Then she saw an ad for mental health tailored to Black Canadian women.  

“For me as a Black woman, I'm in a particularly strange place, and I think it's not recognized enough, the power of having someone to bounce things off of,” says Sheryl.

A study by Mental Health Research Canada found that 12 per cent of Black Canadians are more likely to have a mental health need but did not access private or public care options compared to other equity-seeking groups. Out of those surveyed, women were more likely to say that the care they accessed didn’t meet their needs. Black women also face racism, intergenerational trauma and cultural biases.  

“It’s important to have Black-identified therapists specifically because the black community is very diverse,” says Alice Wiafe, the founder and president of Black Mental Health Canada. “I'm African; I'm very different from someone who's Jamaican or Haitian,” she says. “Having someone across the table from you who really understands what you've gone through and can help you unburden your issues is half the battle of getting over the challenges that you're facing.” 

Since joining the program, Sheryl has been able to find support in other women going through similar experiences, something that has helped her on her mental health journey. “Hearing other women’s stories and being able to support them and then receiving the same support, I can't describe how amazing that is.”