Why I created the LGBTQI+ & QTIPOC Therapy Fund
This fund exists as a gesture of solidarity within our community. Many LGBTQI+ and QTIPOC (Queer, Trans and Intersex People of Colour) folks continue to face structural inequalities such as poverty, racism, housing insecurity and medical discrimination, all of which can make access to supportive, embodied care difficult. The Therapy Fund is a small intervention within that wider landscape of inequity, a way of redistributing resources and creating more accessible routes to care.
LGBTQI+ individuals often face significant barriers when accessing healthcare, both public and private. We may be misgendered, unacknowledged, body shamed or judged for our identities and ways of living, which can lead to feelings of invisibility and rejection.
As a white queer therapist, I’m committed to ensuring that members of my community on low incomes can access and continue to benefit from the healing power of body based therapies. My hope is that this space offers not only support but belonging, for folks who haven’t always found dedicated body based spaces built for our lived experiences. Spaces where it feels possible to exhale, reconnect and be met with care, dignity and understanding.
Here are some stats from research by the Mental Health Foundation:
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Half of LGBTQI+ people had experienced depression, and three in five had experienced anxiety
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One in eight LGBTQI+ people aged 18 to 24 had attempted to end their life
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Almost half of trans people had thought about taking their life
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Around one in eight LGBTQI+ people have experienced unequal treatment from healthcare staff because they are LGBTQI+. One in seven have avoided treatment for fear of discrimination
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Members of the LGBTQI+ community are at greater risk of experiencing hate crimes compared to heterosexual people. Certain LGBTQI+ groups are at particular risk, including gay men, young people and those from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds
Furthermore, QTIPOC are too often overlooked in surveys about the LGBTQ+ experience. In 2021, UK Black Pride undertook a survey of QTIPOC experiences:
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In the past 12 months, nearly half of all respondents (47%) were insulted, pestered, intimidated or harassed in person
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Of those who experienced violence or harassment, over half (56%) felt that it had been motivated by their race or ethnicity, and just under half (47%) by their sexuality
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A third of respondents (33%) had experienced discrimination or harassment in an LGBTQ+ space due to their race or ethnic origin
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Only 61% were open with work colleagues about their sexuality and 54% about their gender identity
If you feel suicidal or in crisis with your mental health, click here.
How the fund works and how to access it
The Olive Tree Therapies Fund is a community initiative that supports each other’s healing and resilience. It exists to make body based therapeutic care more accessible to LGBTQI+ and QTIPOC people in Edinburgh who are living on low incomes.
If this sounds like you, please feel welcome to book through my usual booking system and mention in your message that you’d like to access the fund. I trust your judgement and there’s no need to prove eligibility, as the fund is offered on a basis of mutual care and honesty.
Clients using the fund receive 30% off any treatment, with the remaining 70% self funded. You can use the fund once per calendar month and as often as you need throughout the year. This helps ensure that more people can benefit while still allowing you to access consistent support. Because funds are limited, this is offered on a first come basis.
To keep this initiative going, and with the aim of increasing the subsidy to 50% in future, I rely fully on donations. If you’d like to contribute, please consider sharing this page with friends, family and allies. Even a small amount helps sustain this for someone else. You can donate via cash or bank transfer, just email me for details.
