As we recognize Black History Month, we honor the long tradition of Black resistance, healing, and community care. Mental health has often been weaponized against Black communities—and yet, Black leaders, scholars, and healers have always created pathways to wellness, justice, and collective liberation. This month is a time to celebrate that legacy, and to recommit to mental health care that is rooted in racial equity and cultural respect.

As the holidays roll in, many of us are asked—explicitly or silently—to perform connection. To return home. To make the best of strained relationships. But what if your family isn’t safe? What if your love doesn’t live at your childhood dinner table? For queer folks, trans folks, neurodivergent people, and trauma survivors, “family” often looks different. At Sprout Therapy PDX, we know that chosen family is real family.

You’ve probably heard the messages your whole life: Be strong. Don’t cry. Handle it. For many men—and anyone raised with expectations of masculinity—these beliefs become barriers to emotional expression and mental health care. During Movember and Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re here to say: you’re allowed to feel. And getting support isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom.