Jerrika Hinton Has Been in Therapy for About Nine Years — Inside the Actress' Journey

"Grey's Anatomy" alum and "Hunters" actress Jerrika Hinton opened up on "The Real" about her 8-year journey in psychotherapy.

Actress Jerrika Hinton got real on "The Real," and shared her therapy experience with Adrienne Bailon, Loni Love, Jeannie Mai, Tamera Mowry-Housley, and Amanda Seales.

Hinton made a point of speaking out about being in therapy, in the hopes that it will encourage more people in the African American community to seek professional support.

Hinton is currently co-starring in the series "Hunters" which boasts in its cast the iconic Al Pacino as the head of a team of men and women hunting down Nazis hiding in plain sight in 1970s America

JERRIKA HINTON TALKS ABOUT THERAPY

Hinton revealed that she had been in therapy for over 8 years, and that it had been a profoundly healing experience. The actress addressed the taboo which psychotherapy still presents in the Black community, saying:

"I feel it's a thing everyone should do, I thought about it for years before going."

Hinton asked several friends who were in therapy for referrals before settling on a therapist. For Hinton, finding the right therapist is the key.

BREAKING THE STIGMA

Tamera Mowry-Housely asked Hinton for her opinion on what can be done to end the stigma still attached to seeking therapy in the African American community, to which the actress replied:

"I think a lot of that comes down to access. When things like this become more accessible (...) then that goes really far to helping to end stigma, because once more people are in it, the stigma disappears."

A TRIP TO AFRICA

Hinton revealed that she had returned from a trip to Africa -- her first -- in the beginning of 2020 during which she visited Egypt, Tanzania, and Uganda. The actress recounted:

"I started the trip at the end of the Nile, spent the middle of the trip by myself in the cradle of civilization, then ended it seeing the first full moon of the decade come up at the beginning of the Nile."

NEW EXPERIENCES

Hinton, who had been in "Grey's Anatomy" since 2012 as intern Stephanie Edwards, left the award-winning hit series in 2017 to take up new challenges. Hinton revealed:

“My exit has been something that [series creator] Shonda [Rhimes] and I have talked about for almost a year now, so there were no surprises.”

Hinton left the show to co-star with Academy Award winners Holly Hunter and Tim Robbins in the HBO series, "Here and Now." Despite the hot topic -- multi-racial family dynamics -- and a stellar cast, the show was not renewed by the network.

WORKING WITH AL PACINO

The actress seems to be destined to be in the company of Oscar winners. Hinton is currently co-starring in the series "Hunters" which boasts in its cast the iconic Al Pacino as the head of a team of men and women hunting down Nazis hiding in plain sight in 1970s America, plotting to bring about the 4th Reich.

Hinton plays a brash FBI agent -- black women in the Bureau were a rarity at that time -- and a lesbian to boot. Her performance in the series drew critical acclaim the show was well-received by audiences, but due to the current pandemic crisis, HBO has yet to announce the renewal or cancelation of "Hunters."

LIVING IN QUARANTINE

Like so many other New Yorkers, Hinton is holding on, living through the current lockdown one day at a time. In a recent Instagram post, Hinton revealed that a member of her family had passed away, but did not disclose their identity.

The actress has been dedicating herself to her roof-top garden, sharing that nurturing the plants and planting new seeds gives her a sense of purpose and continuation that is very healing.

Hinto is also taking the opportunity during the enforced pause to revisit an old passion, photography, and has been sharing the first results on her Instagram account.