Jennifer Sterling is a Registered Dance/Movement Psychotherapist and Holistic Nutritionist. She is also the creator of Bodyful Healing, an initiative that offers support and resources to black women living with depression. Having witnessed the adverse effects of oppressive systems on black women in her community and through her own lived experience, Jennifer has made it her mission to help reduce the stigma around mental illness within black communities, as well as educate others on the effects of oppression on the body.

I work with black women and other women of color who are living with depression most frequently. In many instances this involves finding ways to support them through suicidal thoughts, especially since many of the issues we deal with as folks of color are systemic issues that are not easily changed. As such, talking about these issues can often feel like we’re talking in circles with no real solutions, so I invite my clients and patients to bring their bodies into the therapy session. I find that helping someone feel safe and hopeful through movement and body awareness can sometimes shift the thoughts they are having that feel unsafe and/or hopeless. Traditional talk therapy keeps us in our heads a lot of the time, but entering into the body creates another avenue for changing both thoughts and behaviors.

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***Content warning: SPSM Chat includes content about suicide and other experiences that may be traumatizing to you. You may experience strong or overwhelming emotions as a result. If you find yourself in distress or crisis, we encourage you to seek out support that works for you. Many people find it helpful to talk to a friend, family member, or someone else they trust.

If you would like formal crisis support, you can call National Suicide Prevention Lifelineat 800-273-8255, Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 (U.S.) or 877-330-6366 (Canada), or The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. If you don’t like talking on the phone, you can text HOME to 741741 to get to Crisis Text Line, or you can try Lifeline Crisis Chat.

If you’d like to talk to a peer, warmline.org contains links to warmlines in the United States. If you’re not in the U.S., you can go to iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres for a connection to crisis centers around the world.

Many of these resources could utilize restrictive interventions, like active rescues (wellness or welfare checks) involving law enforcement or emergency services. A warmline is least likely to do this, but still might have these policies. You can ask if this is a possibility at any point in your conversation if this is a concern for you.

The following do not implement any restrictive interventions for people considering suicide:

Peerly Human online support groups: peerlyhuman.blogspot.com

Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860 (U.S.) or 877-330-6366 (Canada)