Sankofa Wellness

"Cross the river in a crowd and the crocodile won't eat you"

Toronto is such a big city. There are so many people. And yet it is still so easy to feel alone. Growing up in this city (specifically Scarborough) I have always felt at home in the anonymity. Being part of a crowd. No one is looking at me. I am not standing out. The fact that Toronto is so culturally and ethnically diverse helps a lot too. In Toronto, I am just one of the many other Black people walking around. And I felt a lot of comfort in that.

I have lived in other cities in Canada where the presence of other Black people has been much less. And I have always felt like I stood out. Similarly, as a psychologist, I felt even more like I stood out because I was Black. I was often the only Black person in my classrooms during graduate school. In my program, I was the only one who doing research about how Black Canadians experience the mental health world. People also asked me about my thoughts and opinions regarding the Black experience and working with Black clients. While I am a Black person and I have done research on the topic, I am by no means an expert on how all Black people think and feel. Honestly, the more I learn, the more I see how much I don’t know.

But I know what it is like to be Black in Toronto. My experience is definitely not the same as yours. No one’s experience ever could be. But whatever you are going through, you don’t have to go through it alone. I would like to be there for you if you would like me to be.

About the Author:
Renée Taylor is a psychologist and the founder of Sankofa Wellness. She specializes in culturally responsive therapy, particularly for Black individuals and couples, and is passionate about bridging gaps in mental health care.