Did you know people of color are at higher risk of dropping out of mental health treatment prematurely? While cost and accessibility are common reasons for people to stop treatment, another less talked about reason is a lack of cultural understanding from mental health professionals.
Many folks in the Asian diaspora may experience cultural stressors like family and relationship tension to stress from being a minority in their communities. Sharing these experiences may be difficult and pose an issue when some therapists or coaches may not be equipped to support.
Solving these issues is at the heart of Asian-founded Anise Health, a digital mental health platform that provides culturally-responsive therapy, coaching, and curated digital resources. Anise Health offers personalized treatment programs through a culturally responsive care model. Clients can expect personalized treatment plans from trained practitioners who respect and understand each individual’s unique racial and cultural experiences that shape their world.
Cold Tea Collective interviewed Anise Health’s Co-founder Nisha Desai and Head of Growth Angel Wang about their experiences with mental health and how Anise Health came to be.
Co-founder Nisha Desai’s journey with mental health
Desai is a second-generation South Asian American growing up in a traditional Indian household where everyone is a doctor. Her family only ever thought about mental health in the capacity of a psychiatrist delivering care. While she notes that she was privileged in many ways, she never had the opportunity to talk about her emotions. “I was the emotional sister… and that was kind of always viewed as a weakness,” Desai says.
In college, she realized that it’s okay to not always be perfect when other students who look like her open up about their struggles. “It took me months to get my first [counseling] appointment, and when I finally did, I really was just disappointed and…
Read the full article here
