Black Lady meets Mammy: Analyzing the emergent televisual trope of the Black Lady therapist.

This article examines the portrayal of Black Lady Therapists (BLTs)—Black women therapists—in U.S. and U.K. television over the past decade, analyzing how these characters navigate and often reinforce controlling images rooted in the historical Mammy and Black Lady tropes. While BLTs appear as educated, professional Black women, they frequently function as "false positive" or plastic representations, serving primarily as background figures who listen to predominantly non-Black clients without engaging deeply with issues of race or systemic oppression. Through sociocultural analysis of two exemplars—Dr. Akopian from *Crazy Ex-Girlfriend* and Dr. Taylor from *In Treatment*—the article highlights how BLTs negotiate professional boundaries and (de)sexualization, with most characters constrained by stereotypical portrayals, though some offer more nuanced and complex depictions. The study concludes that despite increased visibility, BLTs often perpetuate intersectional oppressions by maintaining a post-race, post-feminist façade, underscoring the need for richer, more authentic representations that address ongoing racial and gender inequalities.