Harambee: Reconsidering Mentorship 

My African ancestors’ words of wisdom are relevant when we consider the importance of mentorship. It does “take a village to raise a child.” It also takes a village of people to inspire and guide mental health practitioners on the journey from being a student to a seasoned professional all the way through to approaching retirement.

But I’ve noticed that something happens when a person crosses over from adolescence to adulthood; there seems to be less emphasis on the necessity and value of formal mentorship relationships. Apparently the thinking seems to be that as certified, licensed, or experienced mental health workers or professionals we have it together “enough” not to need mentors or mentees. There’s less urgency to develop impressionable minds.

I don’t think this is true; no one gets anywhere by themselves.

The last two years of my life in the United States have reminded me that I need my mental health community more than ever before. I challenge us to “Harambee”—Swahili for “push together”—to help each other continue to excel professionally.

While I am grateful for the things my mother and aunties taught me with their actions and inactions, the five mentors I had from age fifteen to middle adulthood built on what my family taught me and as a result they helped me become the mental health professional I am today. I know I am further down the road than I would be without my mentors’ love, wisdom, and feedback.

I am pleased to report that I have had the privilege of mentoring several associate therapists as well as paraprofessionals. I have found that if the mentors and mentees are teachable and intentional, the experience can be equally rewarding and educational for both parties.

Let’s reconsider the necessity for formal mentorship relationships and reserve the capacity to receive or give mentoring this year.

I invite you to start by exploring the LA-CAMFT Therapists of Color (TOC) Mentorship Program.

Akiah Robinson Selwa, LMFT, President of Sunrise Therapy Center, specializes in biblical counseling, trauma-informed therapy, anxiety management, family therapy, grief & loss, and lifespan transitions. With 24 years of collective experience as a domestic violence prevention advocate, psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, and mentor, Akiah is skilled in working with families, individuals, children, the BIPOC population, abuse survivors, and members of adoption/foster care constellations. She approaches therapy with cultural humility that promotes acceptance, safety, empowerment, and creativity.