Here are some options.
Photo credit: Jakayla Toney on Unsplash
As an avid fan and attendant of therapy, I often think about the lack of access to quality mental health care in this country amidst the raging attacks on our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellness. I’m dreaming up a world where access to all care is free, and we the people can explore ourselves, our emotions, our traumas, and our experiences with ease — because that’s what we deserve.
And as we are dreaming and creating a more accessible world, it’s also important that we give recognition and credit to the people doing the work and sharing the resources to provide accessible care to us now.
Below is a list of collectives, individuals, and resources that offer mental health support to the Collective (note: some of these are identity specific, so be sure to check!):
Boris L. Henson Foundation
Created by Taraji P. Henson. Five free sessions to serve Black people. Enrollment is on a first come, first serve basis and registration opens back up on April 15. Click here for more info.
Loveland Therapy Fund
Created by Rachel Cargle. Provides financial assistance toward therapy sessions for Black women and girls. The Winter/Spring 2020 cohort is closed. Click here to stay updated on the following cohort.
The Safe Place App
Created by Jasmin Pierre. Geared towards the Black community. Offers self-care tips in the following areas (and more): mental health in the Black church, how to cope after police brutality, breathing techniques, and more.
Tara Brach, PhD
Psychologist, author, and teacher of meditation, emotional healing, and spiritual awakening, Tara Brach offers free meditations, talks, and conversations on the podcast app, Insight Timer, and on her website. Click here to go to her site.
Breathe2Relax App
Created by the National Center for Telehealth & Technology. Ever heard of diaphragmatic breathing? It’s a breathing technique to ensure for full oxygen exchange, which helps alleviate stress responses. See in the Apple store here.
Living in this Queer Body podcast
Created by Asher Pandijiris, who believes that “everyone deserves to be supported in their own legacies of trauma and psychic suffering so that we can imagine the liberatory possibilities of substantive social transformation. This is a podcast about the barriers to embodiment and how our collective body stories can bring us back to ourselves.” Learn more here.
