Author: Grecia Rojas

What is a Culturally Competent Therapist?

A culturally competent therapist takes the time to understand and respect your cultural identity, traditions, and personal experiences. They recognize how factors like race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic background shape mental health. They also acknowledge the effects of intergenerational trauma, racial stress, and systemic barriers to care, ensuring that therapy is not only effective but also affirming and empowering.

Why Does Representation in Therapy Matter?

Many people hesitate to seek therapy because they worry their therapist won’t understand their struggles. A therapist who is culturally competent—or who shares your background—can provide a safer, more relatable space to process your emotions and experiences. According to a study published in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, clients who receive therapy from culturally competent clinicians report higher satisfaction and engagement in treatment.

Benefits of Representation in Therapy:

• Feeling heard and validated rather than misunderstood or dismissed.
• Therapy that takes cultural values and family dynamics into account.
• Effective strategies that are tailored to your lived experience, not just general coping skills.
• A deeper sense of trust, making it easier to open up about personal challenges.
• Acknowledgment of historical and systemic challenges that impact mental health, such as discrimination, stigma, and generational trauma.

At WACC, we provide therapy for individuals, couples, and families across Maryland. Whether you’re looking for in-person therapy in Prince George’s County or Telehealth services statewide, our team is here to support you. We prioritize ongoing training and supervision to ensure our clinicians stay informed and culturally aware. Studies, including research from Dr. Derald Wing Sue, a leading psychologist in multicultural counseling, emphasize that therapists who continually educate themselves on cultural issues provide better, more effective care.

Our Services:

• In-Person Therapy – Available for residents in the Washington, D.C., and Maryland areas.
• Telehealth Therapy – Accessible statewide so you can receive support from the comfort of your home.
• Specialized Care – Our clinicians are trained in trauma, childhood development, depression, relationship challenges, and more.

If you’ve been searching for a therapist who understands your background and experiences, you deserve care that meets your needs. Representation in therapy matters because your mental health matters.

Contact WACC today at 301-701-6965 to or fill out the New Patient Registration Form and take the next step toward your mental health journey.

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References:

• Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (2016). Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice. Wiley.
• American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. (2018). “The Impact of Culturally Competent Therapy on Client Outcomes.” DOI:10.1037/ort0000315.
• Comas-Diaz, L. (2012). “Multicultural Competencies in Clinical Practice.” Journal of Professional Psychology, 43(3), 273-282.

Join our dynamic team at Washington Area Clinical Center! We are currently hiring for multiple positions across various departments, including clinical, administrative, and internships.

Interested in a position? E-mail zfarooq@waccenter.com and include your resume and CV (optional).

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1. Mental Health Counselor (Part-Time or Full-Time) Hybrid*

Our team is seeking therapists to provide individual, couple, or family therapy sessions via Hybrid (Telehealth AND In-Person). Contract therapists set their own schedules and work independently in a fully virtual and in-person setting. We are seeking candidates with experience or interest in mood disorders, trauma, and couple/family work.

Applicants must have a M.A. or M.S. from an accredited university and must possess a minimum of graduate-level licensure in the state of Maryland and/or Washington, D.C. (LGMFT, LMFT, LMSW, LCSW-C, LICSW, LGPC, LCPC). We offer FREE supervision to LGPC, LGMFT, and LGSW. Out-of-state applicants must be license-eligible. Reimbursement of licensure fees is available for hired out-of-state clinicians upon licensure. No wait Caseloads. Start with a full caseload (If you offer evening and weekend availability).

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2. Mental Health Counseling Internship (Summer 2025) In-Person*

Seeking part-time graduate counseling interns who can work in-person at our Bowie, Maryland clinic and provide individual, couple, or family sessions. Your program’s practicum and internship start date would be Spring 2025 and onwards. Applicants must be pursuing a M.A. or M.S. from an accredited university and have completed the prerequisite coursework and readiness to begin the practicum/internship.

Ideal candidates should be comfortable working in person using a fully-integrated electronic health record system. We are 100% paperless. We are seeking candidates with interest in mood disorders, trauma, children, and couple/family work.

Career Path and Compensation:

At Washington Area Clinical Center, we value the growth and development of our interns. Upon successful completion of the internship and obtaining the required licensure as a Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor (LGPC) or Licensed Master’s-level Clinician (LM), there are opportunities for paid clinical mental health counselor positions.

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3. Mental Health Marketing & Operations Internship (Part-Time) In-Person

Are you interested in gaining hands-on experience in the mental health field while contributing to the marketing and operations of a thriving mental health clinic? Join our team at WACC as a Mental Health Marketing & Operations Intern. This part-time internship offers valuable professional development opportunities in a supportive and dynamic work environment. *This is an unpaid college credit granting opportunity*

Position Details:

• Position: Mental Health Marketing & Operations Internship
• Type: Part-Time (Flexible hours)
• Location: In-person at our Bowie Office
• Duration: Length according to your college internship requirements

Responsibilities:

• Assist in developing and implementing marketing strategies to promote the clinic’s services and programs
• Support the creation and distribution of marketing materials, including brochures, flyers, and digital content
• Conduct market research and analysis to identify potential outreach opportunities
• Assist with social media management and content creation, ensuring consistent branding and engagement
• Help maintain the clinic’s online presence, including website updates and online directory listings
• Collaborate with the team to plan and execute community outreach events and workshops
• Provide general administrative support to the operations team as needed

Qualifications:

• Current enrollment in a relevant undergraduate or graduate program (e.g., Marketing, Communications, Business Administration, Psychology, Social Work, Human Services)
• Interest in mental health and a strong desire to make a positive impact in the field
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Proficiency in social media platforms and content creation
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment

Compensation

Non-paid. If you are taking a college internship-credit course, we can be your placement site!

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4. Office Floater (Part-Time/Full-Time) In-Person

We are seeking a warm empathetic office floater for our mental health office in Bowie, MD. Floater must be available to work in-person. Duties include answering the phones, scheduling appointments, billing/processing payments, sending emails, faxing documents, coordinating benefits with insurance, mailing letters, processing claims, auditing paperwork, and responding to patient concerns, requesting medical records, and other duties.

Our ideal candidate is energetic, friendly, empathic, attentive, computer savvy, and organized. The candidate has:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and MUST be able to produce clear professional emails.
• Must be comfortable answering phones.
• 1+ year(s) of office experience. (mental health office experience-bonus points!!)
• Experience with Gmail and sorting data in Excel/ Google Sheets spreadsheets
• Experience operating cell and office phones
• Experience with managing CRM and Database systems as we are almost paperless (Simple Practice and Practice Fusion experience-another plus!! )
• Experience with scheduling and billing (bonus point if you know billing for all insurance providers)
• Ability to meet deadlines!

The candidate must be a quick learner and able to perform most functions with personal initiative.

Must also be knowledgeable about HIPAA regulations.

Compensation

Negotiable.

Our physical administrative offices will be closed on the following days:

*Please note that although physical administrative offices are closed on the dates above, clinical services (counseling/medication management) will continue as scheduled unless canceled.*