At Myers-Galloway Counseling, our mission is to Heal and develop confident Black women, so they can create resilient families. Our vision is to create an environment where mental health conversations become normalized for Black women creating an improved sense of self and healthier family relationships.

The holiday season is here, and it can bring up a lot of old (or unresolved) emotional scars. Especially for Black women who experienced adultification and/or parentification during their childhood, reconnecting with family members during this time of year may result in intense family conflict, trigger abandonment issues, fear of rejection or grief. Not to mention, there are always topics that feel off-limits.

When you look at a little Black girl what do you see? How many times have you heard of a little Black girl being referred to as fast? Be honest. Do you see innocence or do you see someone who is sneaky, automatically capable of taking care of herself or even of someone else? Before you answer, it has been found that adults in the United States see little Black girls as less innocent and more adult like than their white peers, especially those ages 5 to 14 years old.

Since Myers-Galloway Counseling opened its doors in 2016, I have noticed a trend, specifically among my Black female clients. There was a pattern of a deep sense of responsibility to others, a foggy awareness of personal needs and wants, and an over extension of time and emotional capacity. Before I was even familiar with the word parentification, I realized that my clients’ stories reflected a lack of nurturance in childhood and it was making a huge impact on their lives today.

The act of caring for others and taking on their duties is common in the African-American community. This type of socialization is often demonstrated at home by a female authority figure, such as a mother, grandmother or aunt. Young Black girls who are exposed to this behavior often replicate it in adulthood. Because they do not want to disappoint others, they struggle with feelings of guilt should they say no.

Things may look different around here, but at Myers-Galloway Counseling, the core of who we are is still the same. Our mission continues to be about empowering Black women to take charge of their mental health and well being.