Interviewing Daija Prather: Therapy Through the Lens of Identity

By Daija Prather, M.A., LCMHCA, NCC

How has your identity as a Black therapist shaped your clinical work or clinical education?

This question resonates deeply because my racial identity and professional identity are inseparable. As a Black woman, I carry my identity into every space I occupy, including the therapy room, and it directly informs how I perceive, assess, and engage with clients. My culture, shared language, lived experiences, and ways of relating shape my clinical lens and enhance my ability to attune to nuance, context, and unspoken dynamics.  

Within Western society, I hold multiple marginalized identities, including my Blackness and gender, alongside other intersections rooted in culture and family lineage. These identities have strengthened my capacity to sit with complexity and connect authentically with individuals whose lived experiences differ from my own. As a Black therapist, I am able to offer culturally responsive care that centers empathy, validation, and safety – especially for clients navigating systems and environments that were not designed with them in mind. 

Thankfully, I have never experienced my racial identity as a barrier to my clinical work. Rather, it has amplified my practice by deepening connection, building trust, and allowing clients to feel seen in a multitude of ways. 

What challenges or pressures do you experience in the field that you think are often invisible to others?

One of the most invisible pressures I experience in this field is how my very presence can be perceived as disruptive, intimidating, or combative in spaces that differ from my own cultural context. While I am trained to bracket my biases as a clinician, clients and colleagues may project their own assumptions and beliefs onto me, often rooted in racialized stereotypes.

Additionally, when I occupy spaces that are counter to my culture, I am often navigating subtle microaggressions and unspoken dynamics that are not readily visible or acknowledged by others. These experiences require constant self-monitoring and emotional labor that is rarely named or validated.

Being a Black clinician remains relatively rare within the mental health field, and many of the challenges faced by therapists of color are rendered invisible because clinical training, research, and professional norms are largely shaped by the societal majority. This can create a sense of dissonance when attempting to practice authentically within systems that were not designed with clinicians like me in mind.

Finally, clinical work is inherently isolating, as much of our labor occurs behind closed doors. For therapists of color, this isolation can be compounded, as there are fewer shared spaces where these experiences can be openly processed and understood beyond conversations with other clinicians or within our own therapy.

In what ways do you bring a unique perspective to your work with clients that may differ then your counterparts?

A core aspect of my unique perspective is my belief that every aspect of human experience is inherently spiritual. Many individuals enter counseling seeking to identify what is “wrong” with them; however, I approach this work from a holistic framework that recognizes the interconnectedness of biological, societal, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. These elements cannot be meaningfully separated, as each informs how a person understands themselves and navigates the world.

While some clinicians may primarily operate from neurological, cognitive, or relational frameworks, my work intentionally creates space for spiritual inquiry and meaning-making. I recognize that not all experiences can be fully understood through logic or linear explanation alone. By welcoming spiritual concepts and the “grey areas” of human experience, I support clients in expanding beyond purely left-brain, problem-focused thinking.

This integrative approach often allows for deeper insight, emotional release, and transformative breakthroughs, particularly for clients who feel stuck, disconnected, or constrained by traditional narratives of pathology. By honoring both the seen and unseen aspects of healing, I help clients reconnect with their inner wisdom and sense of wholeness.

What changes would you like to see in the mental health field to better support Black therapists and the communities they serve?
I would love to see systemic changes that reduce the extra emotional, financial, and cultural labor Black therapists often carry. This includes equitable pay and advancement opportunities in clinical spaces, culturally responsive supervision, and organizational accountability - not just DEI statements. For the communities we serve, affordable care, reducing stigma through community-based outreach, and valuing lived experience and cultural context as legitimate clinical knowledge.