Therapy Isn't Just for White People by Kiara Imani
Therapy Isn't Just For White People is a brilliant debut memoir chronicling Imani's compelling journey to understand the racial trauma experienced by many Black people in America and the underlying effect it has on Black mental health. Through therapy, Imani was introduced to the concept of racial trauma, and discovered how her own unrecognized racial trauma affected her mental health, self-image, and worldview.
Spanning more than twenty years, Imani weaves together a multigenerational family portrait of her experiences growing up in the south to her career as a young Black professional, where she was often one of the few Black people in the room. Grounded in truth and reality, in a series of insightful and deeply affecting essays on race, gender, and identity, Imani writes about career, money, religion, food, health, dating, friendships, body image and beauty, and ultimately, through therapy, her mental health and well-being.
Sincere and inspiring, soulful and uplifting, Therapy Isn't Just For White People is a timely reminder of why the telling and sharing of untold Black stories are central to understanding the pervasive race issues in America. "Hold your head high and wear your Black skin with pride," Imani writes, embarking on a journey of understanding, healing, empathy, self-love, and taking control of her personal narrative about what it means to be Black in America in the 21st century.