According to theΒ 2021 State of Mental Health in America Report, more than 26 million individuals experiencing a mental illness are going untreated. Those living in a mental health desert (Wyoming, Utah, Oregon, Missouri, Mississippi) have even higher rates of mental illness, yet have less access to care.Β
SeshΒ is changing that. The mental health platform provides virtual group sessions at an affordable price point. Topics range from the general (riding the waves of anxiety; becoming moreΒ body-positive) to the community-specific (art-making for racial stress and anxiety).
Via video,Β Dr. Nicole Cammackβlicensed clinical psychologist, CEO of Black Mental Wellness, and member of Seshβs clinical advisory boardβdiscusses how Sesh is making it easier for BI&POC, as well as people living in rural areas, to get access to mental health services.
Can you explain the mission of Sesh?Β
Sesh is a mental health platform that hosts group sessions led by licensed therapists. During these sessions, weβre aiming to empower and highlight the power of groupsβrelating to others and their experiences, sharing perspectives, and everyoneβs unique experiences coming together. A licensed therapist facilitates these sessions so that everyone can heal together, but also heal individually, which is the mission of Sesh at its core.
ββWhat are some of the barriers to entry when it comes to BI&POC accessing mental health services?Β
I think itβs a range of things. Itβs a mixture of stigma and that mental health is not always presented in a way thatβs culturally relevant to the audience. People arenβt seeing themselves in the providers or in the language. Itβs easy to write it off as, βThatβs not for me,β especially if you donβt know people who have been to therapy and have had a positive experience. While those are some of the initial barriers, from there itβs really a matter of the cost of services. A lot of people canβt afford therapy or donβt know how to find a provider. Something else that came up, especially during the pandemic, was that providers were simply booked. This is where Sesh group sessions can really shine, as itβs a way to get more people into a therapeutic space and fill some of those access issues.
How important is cultural sensitivity in the world of therapy?Β
In an ideal world, all providers would use cultural sensitivity as the lens through which they view mental health. How do we think about our patients culturally, and all of these different factors that may impact how a person shows up in the room and what theyβre experiencing? ββββSo many people think that you learn about cultural sensitivity once and youβre done, but itβs a forever learning curve. Iβm a Black woman, but Iβm always learning about Black peopleβwe all differ in geography, age, religion, et cetera. The question is: how can we approach a person, whether theyβre of the same background or notβand think about the role of culture, and think about their upbringing and their standards and their norms? Because thatβs going to inform everything.
I also know from being in meetings with peers and coworkers that even if people have had this training, the reality is, in practice, they donβt address it. There are some people who will see someone of a different culture and not ask a question because the conversation is uncomfortable for the provider, and thatβs not acceptable. While it can be uncomfortable, this is what weβre paid to do. This is what weβre trained to do, and we should be able to have those difficult conversations.
What is a mental health desert?
Mental health deserts are locations where there are limited services. Usually, itβs more rural areas where there are fewer providers. Oftentimes, you see places trying to recruit providers to get them into these areas so that they can increase mental health services. What the pandemic has shown us is that telehealth works. So now, thanks to telehealth, you can live in certain areas of West Virginiaβwhere there were limited services beforeβbut access a provider anywhere in the state.Β
What would you say to anyone who feels like they donβt necessarily need or deserve therapy?Β Β
We really want to shift the narrative to say: you donβt have to be in a mental health crisis to access therapy. In the work that I do with veterans, theyβre often like, βOh, I would rather give my spot to my fellow veterans. Iβm not that bad.β I always emphasize that we all can benefit from therapy, especially nowadays with the pandemic and the impact it has had on us. When you think about Black people, and the racial injustices, and the impact of those things on your mental health, we all can benefit from having that space. Remember that these services are here for you. For some people, intervening earlyβeven if it might not feel like you have a lot going onβprevents it from escalating, and prevents people from getting to that breaking point.
Can Sesh group sessions stand on their own, or should they only be used in conjunction with individual therapy?Β
Group sessions can definitely stand on their own. The perfect example would be someone stressed who feels guilty about βtakingβ someone elseβs space, but needs support in dealing with general stress and life transitions. That person may not need individual services, per se, but there are groups on Sesh that are specific for that and can meet that need. In my work with veterans, we do groups centered around race-based stress and trauma. Together weβre able to deal with the trauma, the racial issues, stress management, and relaxation so that theyβre getting all of the strategies that they needβand many of them donβt require any additional services.
This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.