So you're thinking about therapy — or someone in your life suggested it — and part of you is already skeptical. Maybe it sounds like something that's not for you.

It is one of the open secrets of the mental health field: therapists have their own trauma too. The training tells you to be aware of countertransference. It does not always tell you what to do when your client's story sits in your chest long after the session ends.

People who spend their lives caring for others — teachers, nurses, social workers, home health aides, family caregivers, community organizers — are among the most emotionally generous people in any community. They show up. They stay. They absorb.

The legal profession has one of the highest rates of depression, anxiety, and burnout of any profession.

Finding a Black therapist — one who shares your racial background and genuinely understands your cultural context — is one of the most meaningful things you can do for the quality of your mental health care. It is also, frankly, harder than it should be.

One of the least-discussed effects of trauma is what it does to your ability to trust yourself. To trust your perceptions. Your instincts. Your judgment.