Racial and Culturally Sensitive Therapy

Racial and Culturally Sensitive Therapy in NYC, Hoboken, and Beyond

At BeWELL Psychotherapy, we understand that your lived experience—your race, culture, identity, and personal history—shapes how you move through the world and how you heal. We offer racially and culturally sensitive therapy in NYC, Hoboken, and virtually for BIPOC clients, first- and second-generation immigrants, and anyone navigating the emotional complexities of identity, belonging, and mental health.

Many of our clinicians are therapists of color themselves. All are culturally trained, trauma-informed, and identity-affirming in their approach. Like many of our clients, several of our therapists have also been the first in their families to go to therapy. They understand what it means to carry expectations, code-switch, feel unseen, 3or be asked to explain your experience in spaces that should already understand it.

Whether you’re working through racial trauma, microaggressions, intergenerational pressure, or you’re simply looking for a therapist who gets it, BeWELL is here to hold space for your full story—with depth, compassion, and clarity.

What Is Racial and Culturally Sensitive Therapy?

Culturally sensitive therapy acknowledges how race, ethnicity, systemic injustice, family history, and cultural identity all impact your mental and emotional well-being. It’s not an “add-on”—it’s a core part of how we understand your experience.

At BeWELL, we believe that therapy should reflect and honor your full identity, not ask you to leave parts of it at the door.

This type of therapy can support you with:

Processing the emotional weight of racial trauma, discrimination, and systemic injustice
Navigating code-switching, cultural expectations, and being caught between cultures or generations
Managing anxiety, burnout, or depression when you’re high-functioning but emotionally overwhelmed
Exploring your intersectional identity—race, gender, sexuality, spirituality, class, or immigration experience
Coping with the ways political and social events disproportionately impact you and your community
Working through economic and social inequities that show up in work, family, or relationships
Being the first in your family to go to therapy, and the complexity of doing something new for yourself

What Makes BeWELL Different

We won’t ask you to over-explain your identity, and we won’t minimize your experience.

At BeWELL, our care is grounded in real understanding—not just professional training, but lived experience. You’ll find:

Therapists of color and culturally attuned providers who understand the nuance of your world
A trauma-informed, anti-racist, identity-affirming lens woven into all aspects of our care
A range of services, including individual, couples, and family therapy, as well as wellness services
In-person and virtual options for clients in NYC, Hoboken, and across several states
A practice culture that values emotional safety, inclusivity, and long-term growth

You Deserve To Be.WELL.

Being well is a personal journey and experience. At Be.WELL. Psychotherapy and Wellness, your mental and emotional well-being are our priority.

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Real Talk Q&A: Five BeWELL BIPOC Therapists Answer Common Therapy Questions

Brijuan Phillips, LMSW

You don’t have to explain everything about your culture or identity to be understood in therapy. As a culturally competent Black woman therapist, I recognize that your identity informs how you move through the world, and how you feel, think, and respond. Culture isn’t separate from healing–it’s part of it. If parts of your identity are important to your story, they’re welcome in the room. And if there are things I need to learn to support you better, we’ll listen with openness and respect. Sometimes, it’s simply easier to be seen by someone who shares parts of your lived experience–and that matters here.

Ednesha Saulsbury, LCSW

As a Black therapist, I hold space for clients to share their experiences without having to explain or justify them. I understand how exhausting it can be to carry the weight of microaggressions, systemic racism, and generational trauma—especially in environments where those realities are dismissed or minimized.

In our work together, I help clients unpack how racial trauma shows up in their bodies, their relationships, and their sense of self. I support them in naming what they’ve experienced, processing the emotional toll, and finding ways to protect their energy and set boundaries. Whether it’s navigating workplace dynamics, family expectations, or the everyday stress of being a person of color in this world, I’m there to affirm, support, and walk alongside them. My goal is always to create a space that feels safe, empowering, and centered on their lived experience.

Divya Robin, LMHC

Firstly, I want to say — I’m proud of you for showing up for yourself. That alone is powerful.
Being the first in your family to go to therapy can bring up a lot: guilt, confusion, loneliness, and even fear. You might wonder, “Am I betraying my family?” or “Is something wrong with me for needing this?”

The truth is, being the first to set boundaries, challenge cultural or generational norms, or simply want to do things differently takes strength. It can also feel isolating, especially if mental health wasn’t talked about openly in your home, or if your family doesn’t have the language, capacity, or belief system to support your emotional needs.

I understand that therapy is not just individual work — it’s often cultural, relational, and generational work too. If your family doesn’t feel like a safe space to share your therapy journey, we’ll support you in finding or building community elsewhere — through friendships, support groups, or affirming spaces where your emotions and experiences are seen and validated.

As your therapist, I will walk alongside you in the complexity of it all. The feelings. The grief. The breakthroughs. You are doing the brave work of interrupting cycles — and that work creates ripple effects.

There’s a quote I love: “When they say it runs in the family, you say: this is where it runs out.”

You are that turning point. And you don’t have to do it alone.

Suhailey Núñez, LMHC

Yes, absolutely. Many of us, especially those from Black, Latinx, immigrant, or diasporic communities, carry the weight of deep family expectations, generational sacrifices, and the pressure to make our loved ones proud even when it means putting our own needs on hold.

Therapy can be a space where you unpack those expectations without judgment. A space to explore the push and pull between honoring your roots and forging your own path. That feeling of living in two worlds, one defined by tradition, loyalty, or cultural norms, and the other by your personal desires, boundaries, or identity, is REAL. And it can be heavy.

Through therapy, we can explore the guilt, grief, and resilience that come with navigating those dualities. We can name patterns passed down through generations, while also giving you permission to rewrite parts of your story. You don’t have to choose between where you come from and where you’re going. Therapy can help you find ways to integrate both.

Whether you’re navigating family pressure, identity tension, or simply figuring out who you get to be when you’re not carrying everything for everyone else, you deserve a space that honors all of it.

Melanie Stitt, LCSW, LMSW, LSW

While women of color are not a monolith, we share unique and powerful experiences. As a therapist, I help people feel understood—even when they don’t have the words. I combine my clinical expertise and creative background to support clients in building the life they want to live. My goal is for every person I work with to feel heard, seen, and to leave each session with greater clarity about their next steps.

I believe in viewing each situation through both a clinical and cultural lens to create a personalized, effective treatment plan. As a Black woman who understands the specific stressors we face, I’m committed to being a safe space where you can explore, heal, and grow. Together, we’ll curate a life that feels worth living.

Racial and Culturally Sensitive Therapy