Communities Served

Explore therapists who support specific communities and populations.

Community Affinity Support

What “Community Affinity” Means

Community affinity support generally refers to therapists who share, deeply understand, or intentionally center specific identities, cultures, or lived experiences. This might include race and ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or spirituality, disability, immigration background, or other important parts of someone’s life.

Some people find it meaningful to connect with a therapist who “gets” certain aspects of their world without a lot of explanation, or who holds particular communities with care and respect.

Why Someone Might Look for Affinity Support

People sometimes explore community affinity when:

• They want less time explaining cultural context or language.
• They are navigating discrimination, bias, or identity-based harm.
• They hope to feel more seen in their full identity, not just as an individual.
• They are seeking support around family, faith, or cultural expectations.
• They want a space where certain identities are explicitly welcomed and affirmed.

Examples of Community Affinities

Different directories may organize affinity-related filters in different ways. Some common examples include:

• Racial and ethnic identities – for example, Black, Indigenous, Latine, Asian, Middle Eastern, or multiracial communities.
• LGBTQIA+ identities – including lesbian, gay, bi+, trans, nonbinary, intersex, asexual, aromantic, and questioning people.
• Religious, spiritual, or secular identities – such as specific faith traditions, interfaith backgrounds, or non-religious worldviews.
• Disability and neurodivergence – for example, chronic illness, physical disability, Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities, autistic and ADHD people.
• Life experiences and communities – such as immigrants and refugees, survivors of interpersonal harm, military and veteran communities, or people in kink, polyamorous, or non-traditional relationship structures.

Possible Benefits of Affinity-Based Support

While everyone’s experience is different, some people describe that community affinity in therapy can:

• Reduce the feeling of needing to educate a provider about their identity.
• Support conversations about racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, or other forms of oppression in a more grounded way.
• Make it easier to explore family, culture, and community dynamics.
• Help them feel less alone in their experiences.

Things You May Want to Consider

If you are browsing a directory for community affinity, you might pay attention to:

• How a therapist describes themselves – the language they use about identity, community, and culture.
• Whether they name specific communities – for example, explicitly listing the groups they focus on supporting.
• Trauma-informed awareness – especially if you are exploring experiences related to domestic or relationship-based harm.
• Comfort level – how you feel when reading their profile or any written materials they share.

Some people also reflect on whether they prefer shared identity (a therapist from the same community), allied support (a therapist with training and commitment to a community they do not personally belong to), or a mix of both.

Community Affinity and Safety

For some survivors, it can feel safer to connect with someone who understands cultural or community pressures around relationships, privacy, or leaving unsafe situations. Others may feel safer with a therapist outside their own community because of concerns about familiarity, stigma, or confidentiality. Both options are valid, and preferences can change over time.