By Honor Vang, ThreeSixty Journalism Multimedia Storytelling Institute student

Leela Willard is driven to help people in marginalized communities have access to better mental healthcare.  

Willard got into becoming a therapist at Kente Circle after she went to a mental healthcare conference hosted by Kente Circle. They said that was the first time they had a feeling that being a therapist was for them, especially after she learned about Kente Circle’s mission and purpose. When there was a spot open for associates at Kente Circle, she went for it.  

Willard became a therapist so she could help create a safe space for people of color to share their stories, as well as getting them through their difficult times and trauma. Willard also works with Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Gender Health Service division to get healthcare to people who are nonbinary and transgender.  

Willard is a therapist for Kente Circle. Kente Circle is a mental health agency located in South Minneapolis founded in 2004 that provides culturally relevant therapy for families, couples and individuals.  

“I just really want to create safe connections, help people be introspective about their life,” Willard said. They also wanted to help people “really be able to learn how to authentically show up and work through trauma and difficult times.”  

With Kente Circle being located in such a culturally dense area, just near blocks from George Floyd Square, their work directly addresses the racial disparities in therapy.

Based on the current U.S Census Bureau report, 83% of therapists are white, while the other 17% of therapists are from minority groups.  

KFF Health News reports that over 50% of the white community are looking for therapy, while only 39% of African Americans, 36% of Hispanic/Latinos, and 25% of Asians are seeking mental health treatment.

Additionally, “people don't have access (to mental health care) due to not having access to financial means,” Willard said.

Not only is this about how many different racial or ethnic groups are therapists, but it is also about how Kente Circle and Willard are addressing disparities in mental health care. Offering a safe space to talk is one of the many ways they are addressing it.

“We get to have a conversation and you get to tell your story, and I can help you see parts of that story, where maybe you're able to have some insight or maybe be able to reframe things or restore things, reimagine yourself, like reimagine who you are as a person and the ways you show up in the world,” Willard said.  

Another way Kente Circle wants to address disparities in mental health care in the future is to train barbers in therapeutic practices. This way, African Americans would have a safe area to tell their stories. Barbers and hairstylists could even be trained to be counselors.  

Willard hopes marginalized communities see the benefit in therapy and how it helps people.

“I think that it’s more about helping people see the benefit of therapy and actually talking about what it is and what it isn't,” Willard said.

Additional reporting for this story was done by Alexis Aryeequaye and Amira Mohamud.

This story was produced as part of ThreeSixty Journalism’s Multimedia Storytelling Institute for high school students in partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. ThreeSixty is a nonprofit program dedicated to offering technical, ethical and entrepreneurial training for fulfilling careers in storytelling and civic leadership.