CBT Therapy for
Black Women
Our thoughts, behaviors, and emotions shape how we show up in the world. When anxiety, depression, and birth trauma take hold, we can get stuck in a vicious cycle that makes life feel overwhelming and prevents us from showing up as our fullest, most authentic selves.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a proven technique for breaking the cycle. It’s a research-backed approach that helps you:
Understand how your thoughts, feelings, and actions are connected
Recognize the emotions driving your painful thoughts
Identify unhelpful patterns and replace them with thoughts that are more grounded, compassionate, and true to who you are
What Is CBT Therapy?
For many Black women, slowing down our minds can feel nearly impossible. When the world quiets, especially at night, our thoughts often get louder. You might find yourself thinking:
“I keep showing up for everyone else, but who’s showing up for me?”
“I’m exhausted from carrying so much and pretending I’m okay.”
“Why do I always have to be the strong one?”
“If I set boundaries, will they call me angry or say I’m doing too much?”
These thoughts don’t just stay in your head. They show up in your body through a tight chest, racing heart, or restless sleep. Sometimes they leave you feeling numb, disconnected, or just going through the motions. On the outside, it might look like everything is fine, but inside, you may feel stuck in a cycle of stress, self-doubt, and emotional overload.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps break that cycle. It’s a culturally responsive, evidence-based approach that teaches you how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected. With the support of your therapist, you’ll learn to recognize harmful thought patterns, calm your body, and respond in ways that feel more authentic and grounded.
CBT doesn't ignore your pain. Instead, it gives you tools to face it with clarity, care, and strength, on your own terms. CBT is a skills-based therapy that can turn the volume down and help you regain the calm, clarity, and control to finally rest.
As Black women, we often carry the weight of systemic racism, cultural expectations, and spiritual responsibilities, on top of everything else life demands. These pressures can show up as anxiety, depression, or trauma, and sometimes, we don’t even realize how much we’ve been holding. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers a powerful way to unpack all of that. It helps us challenge internalized negative messages, heal from emotional pain, and build new ways of thinking and coping, all on our own terms.
Why CBT Can Work Especially Well for Black Women
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Skill-Building for Anxiety, Depression, and Overwhelm
CBT gives us real tools we can use every day, like journaling, grounding exercises, and small behavior shifts, to quiet anxiety, move through heavy emotions, and feel more in control. These skills help calm your nervous system and refocus your mind, while honoring your lived experience.
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Naming and reframing thoughts formed by bias and burnout
Whether it’s the pressure to always be strong or the toll of constant microaggressions, CBT helps you recognize and challenge the thoughts and patterns that come from chronic stress and systemic bias. Learning how to reframe these thoughts gives you the freedom to show up in your life with more clarity, confidence, and self-compassion.
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Integrating faith, family, and community supports
If your healing is deeply connected to your spirituality, loved ones, or cultural roots, CBT can hold space for that too. Therapy at BGMHC is a joint effort. We’ll work with you to weave your faith, family, and community into your care in ways that feel right for you.
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Postpartum & perinatal applications
Nearly 40% of Black women experience mental health symptoms during pregnancy or after giving birth. That’s almost twice the national average. CBT can help you navigate intrusive thoughts, rage, guilt, and sadness, and reconnect with your sense of self during this sacred but often overwhelming time. We see you, and we’re prepared to support your healing and your motherhood.
"CBT doesn't ignore your pain. Instead, it gives you tools to face it with clarity, care, and strength —
on your own terms."
What CBT Sessions Look Like
CBT is typically a short-term, structured approach focused on unique obstacles you want to address. Most people attend between 6 and 20 sessions, depending on their goals, preferences, and how they’re progressing. Sessions are usually held weekly or every other week and last about 50 minutes. You and your CBT therapist will collaborate to discover a pace and plan that fits your needs and supports your healing.
The First Sessions:
Building Trust, Gathering Insight, and Creating a Plan
In a compassionate and confidential setting, your first session with your therapist will focus on building a supportive connection grounded in trust. Using a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) framework, your therapist will guide you through a detailed intake assessment to better understand your current challenges, personal history, and emotional needs. CBT focuses on the relationship between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; helping you identify unhelpful patterns and develop healthier ways of thinking and coping. Together, you’ll create a collaborative treatment plan that reflects your values, sets meaningful goals, and outlines a practical path forward. At your own pace, you’ll begin unpacking your experiences and learning new tools to help you navigate life with greater clarity, confidence, and care.
Between Sessions:
Journaling, Thought Tracking, and Real-Life Practice
Your therapist may invite you to practice what you’re learning in therapy between sessions. This might include simple tools like journaling your thoughts and feelings, trying out small mindset shifts, or using worksheets to notice patterns in your thinking. These activities are designed to help you reflect, grow, and stay connected to your goals throughout the week. Think of them as ways to bring the work you're doing in therapy into your real, everyday life, whether you're at work, with family, or just taking time for yourself.
What to Expect Over Time:
Recognizing Patterns, Reframing Beliefs, and Building Emotional Strength
CBT moves at your pace, but it’s built on consistent, structured progress. Early sessions focus on building trust and understanding your current challenges. As you continue, your therapist will help you explore the deeper beliefs that shape how you see yourself and the world around you.
By weeks 4 to 6, many clients begin to notice shifts such as:
Identifying patterns like all-or-nothing thinking, people-pleasing, or self-blame
Gaining clarity on how past experiences may be influencing present-day reactions
Practicing ways to challenge harmful beliefs and replace them with more balanced, self-affirming perspectives
By the end of your treatment, you may notice that you:
Respond to stress and triggers with more confidence and calm
Feel more connected to your values and sense of identity
Have practical tools to maintain progress and care for your mental well-being
Are better able to set boundaries, communicate your needs, and show up as your full self
Meet Your CBT-Trained Clinicians
If you’re looking for a Black female therapist trained in CBT, we’re thrilled to introduce you to our clinicians who specialize in this approach.
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Ebony Staten
Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, APCC
“I love CBT because it slows everything down to gently unpack the story instead of staying stuck on autopilot.”Populations: Women, couples, and families in California, both in-person in Long Beach and online statewide
Specialties: CBT for anxiety, stress, depression, and relationship challenges.
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Chantal Austin
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, PMH-C
“I love CBT because it helps you not just understand your pain, but move through it.”Populations: Black women, femmes, and non-binary people of color heal from the weight of trauma, redefine their self-worth, and reclaim their power.
Specialties: CBT for trauma, betrayal, anxiety, and life transitions.
BOOK WITH CHANTAL -
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Athena Morrisette
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, PPSC
“I love CBT because it invites us to sit with our emotions, listen to what those feelings are communicating, and address what needs attention.”Populations: Black women who are underinsured, uninsured, or simply overlooked.
Specialties: Create spaces where Black women feel seen, heard, and supported
BOOK WITH ATHENA
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Dr. Chyna Hill
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, PMH-C, EMDR Certified
“I love CBT because it helps us understand how our thoughts shape our emotions, and gives us tools to shift what is no longer serving us.”Populations: Black women who are underserved, underinsured, uninsured, or historically dismissed in care.
Specialties: Expanding access and creating culturally responsive spaces where Black women feel protected and supported.
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Breea Wainwright
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, PMH-C, IFMHS
“I love CBT because it creates structure around overwhelming emotions and helps us build practical skills for steady, meaningful change.”Populations: Black women navigating pregnancy, postpartum, early motherhood, and identity transitions.
Specialties: Supporting high-functioning women experiencing anxiety, emotional exhaustion, and attachment wounds.
Pricing, Insurance, and Access
We believe every Black woman and birthing person deserves access to compassionate, culturally affirming mental health care, regardless of income, location, or insurance status. That’s why we offer flexible and affordable options to support you in starting your care journey. Our services include private pay options at accessible rates, virtual therapy sessions that fit into your schedule, and insurance coverage through select providers. If you’re not sure where to start or need help navigating your payment options, we’re here to support you and find the best path forward for your needs.
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CALIFORNIA
● United Healthcare (Optum)
● Oxford (Optum)
● United Healthcare Medicare Advantage
● Anthem Blue Cross California
● Anthem EAP (Bank of America)
● Blue Shield of California
● Carelon Behavioral Health
● Magellan
● Quest Behavioral Health
● Aetna
● Cigna
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GEORGIA
● United Healthcare (Optum)
● Oxford (Optum)
● United Healthcare Medicare Advantage
● Anthem (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia)
● Carelon Behavioral Health
● Magellan
● Quest Behavioral Health
● Aetna
● Cigna
In-Person Sessions
Long Beach, California and Atlanta, Georgia
Online Therapy
Available statewide in California and Georgia via secure telehealth
Take the next step
Is CBT Right for You?
If persistent anxiety, racing thoughts, or overwhelming emotions are interfering with your daily life, or if you feel stuck in patterns you cannot seem to shift, CBT may be a supportive next step. Whether you prefer structured weekly sessions or a focused, goal-oriented approach, we will work with you to build practical tools that align with your life and the change you want to see.
FAQs About CBT Therapy
Everything you want to know before your first session.
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Yes, CBT is one of the most well-researched and effective therapies for challenges like anxiety, depression, and trauma. But therapy is not one-size-fits-all. What works for one person may not work for another. That’s why at Black Girls Mental Health Collective, we deliver CBT in a way that is culturally affirming, trauma-informed, and grounded in the lived experiences of Black women and birthing people.
In addition to CBT, we offer other evidence-based approaches, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), and somatic therapy, which focuses on the mind-body connection and helps release trauma that is held in the body. Your therapist will work with you to identify the approach that best supports your emotional and physical healing.
EMDR works differently. It targets how memories are stored in the nervous system, not just how you think about them. Key differences include:
You do not need to narrate your trauma in detail. EMDR works through body-based reprocessing, not storytelling.
It addresses trauma stored in the body, not just thoughts in the mind.
It is often faster. Many clients see meaningful shifts in fewer sessions than with traditional talk therapy.
Its nonverbal nature makes it safer for clients who have felt silenced, tone-policed, or dismissed in talk therapy settings.
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Yes. In fact, we encourage it. We know that healing is not just about mental health. It is also about identity, ancestry, community, and spirit. Your therapist will create space for real conversations about culture, family dynamics, generational trauma, and faith. If it is meaningful to you, we can incorporate spiritual practices like prayer, scripture, or rituals into your sessions. Therapy should reflect all of who you are, not ask you to leave parts of yourself behind.
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No. CBT is not about forcing yourself to be positive or ignoring your real emotions. The goal is to understand how your thoughts influence how you feel and act. It helps you notice patterns in your thinking, especially the ones that are harsh, self-critical, or untrue. From there, you can learn how to challenge and reframe those thoughts in ways that feel more honest, supportive, and helpful, not just optimistic.
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Absolutely. CBT can be especially helpful for managing intrusive thoughts that often show up after birth. Many Black mothers quietly struggle with thoughts like:
“If I say what I’m really thinking, they’ll think I’m a bad mother.”
“I’m supposed to be strong, but I feel like I’m falling apart.”These thoughts can lead to intense feelings of anxiety, shame, and emotional exhaustion. CBT for postpartum provides a structured and supportive space to explore these thoughts without judgment. Using tools such as journaling, thought-tracking, and guided reflection, you can begin to challenge unhelpful thinking patterns and build coping strategies that help you feel more grounded, present, and connected to yourself.
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CBT is typically a short-term, structured form of therapy. While each situation depends on goals, symptoms, and progress, most clients attend between 6 and 20 sessions. By weeks 4-6, many clients begin experiencing meaningful shifts in awareness, confidence, and emotional control.
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Yes! We accept many major insurance plans (see details in the “Insurance & Payment Information” section). If you’re unsure or don’t have insurance, contact us about our other flexible, affordable options.Your therapist will work with you to identify priorities and create a treatment map, moving through memories and themes at a pace that feels manageable and safe. Processing one memory often has a ripple effect, reducing the emotional charge of related memories even before you directly address them.
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Yes. Online CBT is available for clients located anywhere in California or Georgia via secure HIPAA-compliant video sessions. Research consistently shows that virtual EMDR is just as effective as in-person care.
Virtual sessions are ideal for clients who prefer the privacy and comfort of their home environment, have limited transportation options, or need flexible scheduling around work, childcare, or other responsibilities.
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The first step is a free 15-minute consultation. This is a low-pressure conversation to talk about what you are carrying, what you are hoping for, and whether EMDR is a good fit for where you are right now. There is no commitment required.
You can book your consultation online, text us directly, or fill out our intake form. Our team typically responds within one business day.
Book a free consultation.
Still have questions?
Our team is happy to talk through anything before you book.
Let’s Take the Next Step Together
You don’t have to keep carrying the noise alone. We are honored to support your journey to feel like yourself again.
Not ready yet? Read about Understanding Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders in Black Women and start your healing journey at your own pace.