When a mental health professional assigns a diagnosis, it’s important to remember that this does not mean you now “have” this illness forever. Some people find it helpful to think of it as a “snapshot” of one point in time, knowing that months or years later, things may have changed and that diagnosis may no longer be accurate. For instance, generalized anxiety disorder, like all diagnoses, has very specific criteria that a client’s experience must meet in order to be given the diagnosis.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly impacted the mental health of people all over the world. The collective trauma we’ve experienced after so many losses and changes has increased the need for mental health care. People everywhere are seeking support for their mental health and searching for the right therapist to help them cope. But what about children?

As an African American female mental health professional practicing in the Twin Cities, many of the Black/African American (I use these interchangeably) clients who present to therapy work in a professional or corporate setting. The most common problems they present with are anxiety, depression, or symptoms from past trauma that are making it difficult for them to function in the present day.