My name is Mel and just to give a quick background about myself, I am a lifelong therapy user. As a minority and first-generation American, it is disheartening to hear my family and friends, especially those who struggle with mental health conditions, discredit therapy and its benefits. Many of them have tried therapy in the past but stopped attending because they felt as though they could not relate to their therapist. Even I understood their concerns, as it took me 4 attempts to find the right therapist for me. That said, I knew this disconnect between potential patients and therapists was something I wanted to explore further.

I created a survey primarily distributed to college students to see if my family and friends' sentiment was widely felt. After I got the results back, I was incredibly disheartened, but not surprised. 80% of respondents who attended therapy said they did not go back a second time because they felt like their therapist did not understand them. Most importantly, a majority of these respondents were minorities from underrepresented communities (e.g. race, ethnicity, sexual orientation). This only confirmed my suspicion: patients from minority and underrepresented communities feel as though they do not relate to their therapists. 

Given that only 17% of therapists identify as minorities (American Psychological Association), this disparity makes even more sense. As a graduate in behavioral health studies, I understand just how important cultural competency is when it comes to patient care, and I understand that this is already an integral part of a therapist’s training. But cultural competency only goes so far when therapists do not share the same racial, ethnic, or cultural experiences as their patients. Knowing this, I was determined to find a solution.

Created during Mental Health Awareness Month in 2023, Kalmado is a company that helps match potential patients from underrepresented communities to therapists using an algorithm based on a variety of factors (e.g., race, ethnicity, sexual orientation).