Black Therapists Matter: An Interview with Ms. Pametria Dominise Brown, LCSW

Local & National News | April 13, 2026 | 12:55 p.m. CDT

Edited: April 15, 2026 | 5:25 p.m. CDT

Written by: Gilbert Barnes Carter III

I recently spoke with Ms. Pametria Dominise Brown, LCSW after she officially became the recipient of a Visionary Social Worker Award in the "Stand Out Brand" category. She represented Memphis very well as she was honored during the 2026 Visionary Social Work Virtual Awards ceremony on March 28. Ms. Brown's mental health advocacy and social work is groundbreaking. She is also currently developing a documentary entitled "The Face of Suicide." A soft release of the documentary is set to take place in May. A full release is set to take place in September during National Suicide Prevention Month.

1. Describe the local and national organization structures of Black Therapists Matter.

"Black Therapists Matter is a digital mental health platform and professional community created to increase the visibility, accessibility, and sustainability of Black mental health professionals. While the platform serves therapists and clients nationwide, it was founded and is rooted in Memphis, Tennessee."

"On a national level, Black Therapists Matter operates as an online hub that connects clients across the U.S. with culturally competent Black therapists through our directory and membership community. Therapists across the US, can join the platform, grow their visibility, and serve clients both locally and virtually. We also provide content, education, media outreach, and are developing continuing education opportunities to support the professional growth of our members."

"Locally, community engagement is a huge part of our work. We partner with organizations like Black Lives Matter Memphis and Memphis Artists for Change to host community events and mental health conversations. Through our partnership with Black Lives Matter Memphis, we’ve also collaborated to help fund therapy sessions for individuals who have limited access to mental health resources. That local connection is incredibly important because it allows us to bring awareness and real support directly into the community."

"Operationally, the organization is founder-led and supported by a growing network of therapists, writers, ambassadors, and collaborators who believe in the mission. As we continue to grow, we’re expanding partnerships, educational offerings, and events that strengthen both the therapist community and the people they serve."

"At its core, Black Therapists Matter exists to support therapists while improving access to culturally centered mental health care nationwide."

"Black Therapists Matter is a digital mental health platform and professional community created to increase the visibility, accessibility, and sustainability of Black mental health professionals. While the platform serves therapists and clients nationwide, it was founded and is rooted in Memphis, Tennessee."

Ms. Pametria Dominise Brown, LCSW

2. I asked two of our best, brightest, and young change agents, Mr. Johnathan Isom and Ms. Jasmine Bernard, the following question recently. Johnathan is currently a junior at Westwood High School. Jasmine is currently a junior at University High School.

What is at least one resource that Black teenage school children desperately need?

They both identified mental health outreach. Consider the content of their responses.

"Considering this, one resource that Black youth need is exactly that, adults to support and come to us where we are at. Whether that is mental health or future planning, you have to want to understand us. But there also has to be an understanding that youth are not a monolith and there is no one specific guide to what it means to meet every young person where they are at." - Ms. Jasmine Bernard

"One resource Black teenage school children in Memphis desperately need is consistent mental health support. Many are dealing with trauma, poverty, and loss, yet schools often lack counselors or culturally responsive services. Expanding access to youth-centered therapy, mentorship, and safe community spaces would make a huge difference." - Mr. Johnathan Isom

How are therapists across the Black Therapists Matter network eliminating those specific coverage gaps through their work at elementary, middle, and high schools at the local and national levels?

"First of all, shout out to the youth for insightful input! I can appreciate what both of them shared, because they named something we hear from young people again and again: they want support that actually meets them where they are."

"Across the BTM network, many therapists are already working to close these gaps in several ways. At the local level, therapists partner with schools, youth programs, and community organizations to provide workshops, group sessions, and mental health education for students, parents, and educators. This often looks like classroom presentations about emotional wellness, small group support for students navigating grief or anxiety, and helping school staff better understand how trauma shows up in behavior and learning."

"Another important piece is representation. When students see therapists who look like them and understand their lived experiences, it reduces stigma and builds trust much earlier. That trust can be the difference between a young person asking for help or suffering in silence."

"Nationally, the network helps increase access by making culturally responsive therapists easier to find through our directory, including therapists who specialize in working with children, teens, and families. Many of our members also offer virtual services, which expands access for students in areas where school-based mental health support is limited or nonexistent."

"Therapists in our community are also advocating beyond the couch by speaking in schools, mentoring youth, collaborating with nonprofits, and creating content that helps normalize mental health conversations for young people."

"Closing these gaps takes partnership, visibility, and consistent outreach. The goal is to make mental health support feel normal, accessible, and safe long before a young person reaches a crisis point."

"When students see therapists who look like them and understand their lived experiences, it reduces stigma and builds trust much earlier. That trust can be the difference between a young person asking for help or suffering in silence."

Ms. Pametria Dominise Brown, LCSW

3. What are the fundamental differences between baseline counseling and therapy?

"So this a question that I like to reframe a bit, because in everyday conversation people often use the terms 'counseling' and 'therapy' interchangeably. Both are forms of mental health support, and both can be incredibly valuable."

"Generally speaking, counseling is often more short-term and focused on specific challenges or life transitions. Someone might seek counseling to work through stress, relationship concerns, grief, or a major decision. The focus is often on practical tools, coping skills, and navigating a current situation."

"Therapy can include those same elements, but it often goes deeper and explores long-standing patterns, past experiences, identity, and emotional healing over time. Therapy may involve unpacking trauma, understanding how early experiences shape present behaviors, and building long-term emotional wellness."

"In reality, the most important thing isn’t the label, it’s finding the right support. Whether someone calls it counseling or therapy, the goal is the same: helping people better understand themselves, develop healthy coping strategies, and feel supported as they move through life."

"In reality, the most important thing isn’t the label, it’s finding the right support."

Ms. Pametria Dominise Brown, LCSW

4. To love yourself is to know yourself. Individuals can gain significant self-discovery through intensive therapy in general. So, if Black therapy is indeed a form Black love, how do we continue to eliminate the internal and self-imposed false narratives and stigmas around it?

"That question really gets to the vision behind the work we do at BTM. For generations, many Black communities have had to survive without consistent access to mental health care, and stigma grew out of that survival. Messages like 'pray about it,' 'be strong,' or 'keep family business in the house' were often rooted in protection and resilience but they also left little room for vulnerability and emotional support."

"One of the most powerful ways we begin to shift those narratives is through visibility and normalization. The more people see Black therapists, hear Black mental health conversations on the radio, in community spaces, online, and in everyday life, the more therapy becomes something familiar instead of something foreign or taboo."

"Education is another huge piece. When people understand that therapy is not just for crisis but also for growth, self-awareness, and healing, it changes the way they view it. Therapy becomes less about “something being wrong with you” and more about investing in your well-being."

"We also have to make space for honest conversations about generational trauma, systemic barriers, and the historical reasons mistrust exists. When we acknowledge those realities, therapy stops feeling like a betrayal of culture and starts feeling like an extension of self-care and community care."

"Ultimately, eliminating stigma happens through representation, access, and conversation. The more we talk about mental health openly, the more therapy becomes an act of self-love instead of something to hide."

"Messages like 'pray about it,' 'be strong,' or 'keep family business in the house' were often rooted in protection and resilience but they also left little room for vulnerability and emotional support."

Ms. Pametria Dominise Brown, LCSW

www.blacktherapistsmatter.org

www.pametriadominise.com

Email: pametriadominise@gmail.com

Instagram: @pametriadominise

Photo Credits:

Header Photo by: Ms. Ray Simone for Ms. Pametria Dominise Brown, LCSW

Body Photo (1) by: Ms. Ray Simone for Ms. Pametria Dominise Brown, LCSW