Guest Blogger: Jessie Broach, Family Specialist Beech Acres Parenting Center

When I was a child, I didn’t see a therapist that looked like me or that could help identify what I was going through. My daughter was starting therapy, so I knew that if I was helping her get help dealing with her big emotions, I knew I needed to lead by example. The older I got, the more I needed to talk to someone about my issues, but I couldn’t find the right therapist because I didn’t feel as though the therapists that were available to me would be able to understand where I was coming from. I didn’t fully understand the things I needed. Growing up biracial puts a lot of stress on you coming from two different worlds. When I finally found a therapist through Poppy’s Therapeutic Corner. I chose this organization for two reasons; one was that it was the same name as one of the most influential people in my family, my dad’s uncle Poppy and two was that they are black-owned. When I saw the name, and it was black-owned, I knew it was a sign that I was looking at the right place for therapy. My uncle Poppy always had a way of speaking to my heart with his words that always uplifted me and gave me strength, and gave me so much ancestral information about my beautiful black culture. I have been going to therapy with them for years, and my therapist has helped me to unlock some strengths and skills that I didn’t think were there. This has strengthened me to be the best specialist, coworker, friend, mother, and partner. Therapy can be good for anyone, even when we are not in crisis.