Therapy and wellness center catering to Black people set to open in Minneapolis

A significant reason why Black people do not seek therapy is the stigma associated with it.

Black people seeking a therapy and wellness center that caters to their needs will soon have a new destination to visit in Minneapolis.

Reviving Roots, a therapy and holistic wellness center launched by Marlee James in May, is set to hold a grand opening on Saturday, August 19, Star Tribune reported.

The stigma associated with therapy is a significant reason why Black people do not seek the service. James is on a mission to change that mindset with her new establishment in Loring Park.

“Black folks, we just don’t believe in it,” James said, the Star Tribune reported.

According to Mclean Hospital, just one-in-four African Americans seek mental health treatment, compared to two-in-five white Americans. Access to health care is one of the major causes of this disparity. 

Reviving Roots offers “Black-centered and Black-affirming holistic mental health and wellness support with you in mind,” its website says.

All therapists, instructors and coaches at Reviving Roots are Black and offer various services, including massage, yoga and other physical activities. The center has two membership levels: $99-a-month for general services and a Signature membership that comes with enhanced features, including counseling and massage sessions, for $239 monthly, according to the Star Tribune.

A $49-a-month digital membership with live-streamed classes and groups will be available in the fall.

Additionally, the space serves as a gathering place for Black community events, such as classes, work engagements, movie nights and game nights.

“In this space, we are centering Blackness,” James said, per the Star Tribune.

Reviving Roots provides “a space where it’s clear you belong in that space,” James shared. “It’s a space where Black folks can be their full selves instead of ‘the Black person in the room.'”

Many factors contribute to Black people not seeking therapy, including financial and insurance limitations, as well as the lack of diversity among mental health providers.

In Minnesota, white people make up 79% of the population, but 88% of the mental health workforce, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. The number of Black mental health workers is less than 3%, with Black people representing 7% of the population.

James said that the best way for Black people to deal with race-related trauma is to access Black therapists.

“A white therapist might say they could just ‘think’ their way out of the racism,” James said, noting that a Black therapist might say, “Oh, yeah, that just happened to me two days ago.”

“There’s an advantage to having somebody who gets it,” James added.

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