Why Janelle Monae Advocates For Therapy As A Form Of Self-Care

Janelle Monae has been bringing Black Girl Magic to our radar lately, whether it be with her bold fashion sense, her bomb music, or her acting career.

Her album Dirty Computer was nominated for Album of The Year at the 2019 Grammy Awards, which was a major milestone for Monae as this piece of work was the most revealing for her as she gave us a glimpse into her life and sexuality. Monae shared:

"This album is so much bigger than me. It's not about me, it's about a community of dirty computers, of marginalized voices. Being a young Black queer woman in America, there was something I had to say."

In addition to her music, she is gracing the big screen yet again in Welcome to Marwen, where she will play a physical therapist to a WWII soldier suffering from PTSD. Interestingly enough, she recently admitted to Essence Magazine that one of her biggest priorities, once she was financially able, was to seek therapy herself:

"When I first started getting a check, I went to therapy. Therapy is important. And being a Black woman that was not something that was pushed in my community, it was always 'pray about it, God will take care of it'. I believe in a higher power but I also believe that that higher power gives you people on Earth to help walk you through some of your darkest times and help you cope and deal."

Therapy is an important part of Monae's self-care regimen, especially for the confident and increasingly transparent persona that she embodies.

A deeper understanding of yourself, where you have been, and where you intend to go assisted by the help of a professional is so beneficial to your well being. Perhaps her time in therapy is what led the 33-year-old singer, songwriter, and actress to become more forthcoming and less guarded in her work. Monae admits that bearing her inner-self was a bit nerve wracking at first, especially after breaking the news of her pansexuality:

"It's uncomfortable for me because I've always been a private person. But when you make art that's so personal, folks wonder how much of this is your real life versus the concept."

However, after being mentored by the Emperor of Pop and Funk himself, Prince, Monae learned that regardless of the parts of herself that she would like to keep private, it is important to guide and empower others just as her idol Prince did for her, explaining that he "never let his mystery get in the way of his mentorship."

As we move into our New Year resolutions and an increase of self-care is high on the list for many of us, let's not forget therapy is a great way to kick start your wellness and self-care journey!

Welcome to Marwen is currently out in theaters. Watch the trailer below.

Welcome to Marwen - Official Traileryoutu.be

Feature image by Getty Images for Absolut Elyx