“If the comfortable red leather couch in my office could talk, it would tell personal stories of white-induced racial stress in the workspace. These tales include tears and fears where dreams and ambitions were murdered, confidence was slaughtered, dignity was brutally assaulted, and hope was crushed. In other words, unrestrained bias and structural racism operate almost like silent assassins.” —Mary Pender Greene, "Becoming an Antiracist Leader: From the View of a Black Female Clinician and Consultant"

Because of the stressful work environments that often exist in the U.S., I argue that Black people need affirmative therapy spaces to discuss the work stress they experience. Therapists can develop a practice of affirming cultures in their work. Culturally-affirming therapy uplifts cultural strengths, leaves no room for discrimination, and counteracts a harmful dominant culture.

Hargons et al. (2022) determined that repeated racial stressors can become racial trauma and that predominantly white institutions (PWIs) have greater instances of these problems. Research including Phipps (2020), George (2020), and Tulshyan (2022) has identified common issues that people of color face in the workplace:

• Over-credentialed and looked over: Black people in particular often feel invisible, dismissed, and silenced at work. In order to get a job or opportunity, Black people often have to be overly qualified and still may not be picked for promotions or leadership.
• Not given wise feedback: Black people often report that it is challenging to find mentorship, especially in organizations that are predominantly white. They also, therefore, receive less protection and feel more isolated and alone in their roles.
• Excluded: Black women, in particular, often report not being heard in meetings or their thoughts being rephrased and stolen by other identities. This habit of not being included often causes Black women to seek more credentials in order to legitimize their words.
• Elevated but not given power: Too often, Black leaders are given titles without real power to make decisions. The performativity of this leadership move by organizations creates major feelings of imposter syndrome and lack of confidence in output. BIPOC wonder why they are in the role if they have to jump through hoops to make changes.
• Tone policed: One remnant of America's racial history is fear surrounding the emotions of Black individuals and other people of color. Black and Indigenous people are often told they are too emotional, serious, intimidating, etc. This results in a constant survival mode for employees who are not welcome to be themselves and experience or display their true feelings.
• Micro- or macro-aggressed: Flippant statements that make assumptions about a Black person’s beliefs, abilities, and experiences may seem harmless, but they are hurtful because they are not seen as a problem by the dominant culture.

All of these experiences create a culture of anti-blackness. They create workspaces that impact the health and well-being of Black American, Black Caribbean, and Black African people. There is a disconnect in how Black culture and Black people are perceived in the United States; Black people's contributions to culture are highly valued, yet their emotional well-being—and often, their lives—are not given the same respect. Many Black people report feeling exhausted in the face of near-constant racial stress.

Therapists must treat both white and Black clients with these factors in mind. When a client experiences a harmful work environment, a therapeutic space should validate their existence in order to help them cope. Incorporating a client's own rituals and healing methods, as well as appreciating the language, style, and norms of their culture, makes a client feel seen and heard. Culture-affirming therapy is necessary to counteract psychologically unsafe work environments and anti-Blackness.