Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Anderson.
Hi Nicole, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
A Cure for the Culture, LLC was birthed with the purpose of creating a safe, therapeutic space for individuals of color.
For years, conversations about therapy and mental health have been absent from our culture due to the lack of awareness, accessibility, and representation, despite its significance and need. Being raised in a predominantly African American city and attending a predominantly white institution where I was 1 of 2 students of color in my cohort was eye-opening. I remember the continuous search for people, things, and places that looked like me– reminders that I belonged and validation that my experiences as a black woman were appreciated and understood.
The validation I sought became more difficult to obtain because there were limited options and opportunities to process shared experiences. After entering the field, that search for validation and connectedness continued. If that were my struggle as a therapist, I could only imagine how prospective clients felt. How long had people considered or sought therapy but were left with minimal options of therapists who understood their experiences without having to provide the culture backstory? A Cure for the Culture was created for them! The therapy itself is not the cure all for life’s problems– it’s what happens in therapy that’s transforming. The emotional safety, the validation, the space to be unapologetically you. I hope to continue providing safe spaces that genuinely accept and respect one’s life experiences. Therapy should be an experience that allows people the unique opportunity to regain focus of the part of them so often lost in the noise of others. It’s my hope that therapy and mental health become conversations welcomed in every space from the kitchen table to the corporate office. The power of a dope, black therapist is UNMATCHED!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Creating A Cure for the Culture was filled with many barriers– the biggest being myself. I knew I was creating something that wasn’t going to resemble what I’d already seen and although that sounds liberating, it was equally frightening. Were others going to be accepting? Was my professionalism going to be challenged? I was filled with so much doubt and fear, so to relieve that, I continued to pour into everyone else’s businesses. It was easier that way, but much less fulfilling. I also noticed the more I neglected my own dreams, the larger my resentment grew. I wanted therapy to look the way I envisioned it but knew I wouldn’t achieve that if I kept playing by everyone else’s rules. I have no doubt that the challenges will continue– that’s with any great venture (sometimes I function with the misconception that because a journey is purposeful and meaningful, that it will “just flow”) but I’m learning to embrace it. I don’t want an easy journey– it will teach me absolutely nothing and it will definitely lose its value.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am most passionate about working with individuals and families impacted by abuse and neglect, acute/chronic/complex trauma, racial trauma, sexually harmful behaviors, depression, anxiety, poor self-image, attachment issues, adjustment disorders, stress, challenges in interpersonal relationships, phase of life stressors, disruptions in marriage and family functioning, and exploring the purpose and meaning of life. I am also driven by mental health advocacy for people of color and therapies/techniques that allow me to incorporate creativity and humor into the therapeutic experience.
I am most proud of my ability to give people a space to just be. Life, responsibility, and finding matching socks is hard enough, therapy shouldn’t have to be, too. At least not all the time. 😉
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I hope the mental health industry BOOMS over the next 5-10 years!! It’s so dope and exciting to see how people have advocated for therapy compared to just 5 years ago. People are speaking up about trauma and encouraging others to do the same and it’s so cool to see the impact it’s having on our community. Every finger is crossed that this continues. NO ONE should have to carry the weight of their traumatic experiences in silence.
Contact Info:
- Email: acurefortheculture@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acurefortheculture
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acurefortheculture/
