Our Naked Truths Collective Healing Fund
Donation protected
Hello Loves,
I'm Jocelyn Yeboah-Newton a Mental Health Advocate, Gender Consultant for Abianda, Music partner for Alxndr London, and very proud Founder and Host of life art therapy series - Our Naked Truths and theCommunion podcast.
More about me here
Hear from me and see why this is so important to us below.
WE UPDATED OUR FUNDING TARGET DUE TO THE DEMAND OF THE SERVICE
WHO ARE OUR NAKED TRUTHS?
Our session 'Menopause, Depression and Me' with the inspiring Karen Arthur
Our Naked Truths is a life art therapy series that uses life art, meditation and conversation to center the stories and bodies of Black and POC femmes.
Over 4 years we have witnessed 1,164 femmes across the UK, NYC, Berlin and Oman step into their power, sharing their bodies and stories of shame, courage, vulnerability, trauma and reclamation. We have done this both in real life sessions and more recently online.
It's been an amazing privilege!
We believe that Black Womxn deserve to feel heard, understood, and celebrated, and we have seen first hand the power of sharing our stories.
Our podcast theCommunion, invites muses from previous sessions to share their tools of self-care to empower others in their process of self-acceptance. We only started our podcast (produced by the magical Nicole Logan ) a few months ago and already have over 200 monthly listens from all over the world for which we are very grateful!
We believe in community, collective healing, and the reclamation of our narratives.
We deserve to be seen, heard, and to heal.
WHY IS THIS FUND SO IMPORTANT?
Launched in June 2020, ‘The Black Womxns' Therapy Fund ' is a monthly service offering 5 black womxn the opportunity to access 12 x sessions with accredited black and brown mental health practitioners for free.
We were taken aback and unprepared for the overwhelming requests we received from womxn all over the UK in desperate need of therapy.
Our Traumatologists, Psychotherapists, Counsellors and Systemic/ Art Therapy Family Councillors, also offer discounted rates for new clients and those wishing to continue therapy after their initial 12 sessions.
Coronavirus (Covid-19) and the protests against injustices to Black people in the UK and worldwide have awakened and unearthed internalised racism, informed trauma, harrowing repressed experiences and challenged many in our community, especially those of black womxn.
We created this as we believe in culturally appropriate services for Black Womxn. Our womxn deserve increased, adequate access to timely, Black-led mental health support. In the UK, waiting lists for NHS services are up to a year.
Meaning most people may fail to access services, and during this time, they can disengage and feel hopeless.
Did you know Black Womxn are 4 x times more likely to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act (1983)?
Or that Black Womxn are 3 x time more likely to experience a mental health issue than any other race?
In the UK, for too long Black Wxmens' mental health has fallen off the Mental Health agenda.
We want to change that with a tangible impact.
We cannot ignore the fact that racism, discrimination and socio-economic inequalities inform how we are navigating our mental wellness.
Our goal is to support timely access for Black femme community members to mental health professionals for one on one therapy sessions.
The stripping of the public health system by successive governments has left major gaps and long waits and stripped-down services that are often administered by white practitioners and not through an anti-oppressive lens, which can end up harming more than healing.
Anxiety, Depression, Isolation, Domestic violence, Substance abuse, Eating disorders, Financial stress, Grief, PTSD are just some of the experiences that have been shared with us during the quarantine.
The mental health impacts of COVID-19 are intense — and will last longer than the virus itself.
We believe that black womxn deserve to right to heal and relinquish feelings of shame, guilt, and fear to create space for a new voice.
The voice of self-acceptance and love undefined by their trauma.
BLACK WXMEN MATTER. OUR MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS.
WHERE DOES YOUR MONEY GO?
The Black Womxns Therapy Fund (£25,000):
5 Black Womxn to access FREE therapy for 12 sessions (3 months) per month. After this, there will be a discounted rate offered for them to continue matching their income. This includes support for mothers who require therapy for themselves and the family.
Paying for the emotional labour and skills of our accredited black and queer psychotherapists, counsellors, traumatologists, and art therapists. We currently have 11 from each area and are still recruiting more. This includes supervision once a month for trainee therapists who volunteer their time.
theCommunion podcast (£1200):
The production of our monthly worldwide podcast with filmed interviews, for 6 x months, hosting, curation by myself, produced by Nicole Logan and an assistant editor, renewal of editing software, a mic, guest expenses, artwork creation, subscription for distribution and studio hire.
Core Costs (£3,456):
3 x days a month for an office assistant.
Expenses for a social media intern.
And my time for project management, recruitment and service delivery.
We want to serve our community by investing in them.
Please donate so we can help to provide this much-needed therapy and communion. See this as a small act of service.
Thanks for your time.
Jocelyn x
I'm Jocelyn Yeboah-Newton a Mental Health Advocate, Gender Consultant for Abianda, Music partner for Alxndr London, and very proud Founder and Host of life art therapy series - Our Naked Truths and theCommunion podcast.
More about me here
Hear from me and see why this is so important to us below.
WE UPDATED OUR FUNDING TARGET DUE TO THE DEMAND OF THE SERVICE
WHO ARE OUR NAKED TRUTHS?
Our session 'Menopause, Depression and Me' with the inspiring Karen Arthur Our Naked Truths is a life art therapy series that uses life art, meditation and conversation to center the stories and bodies of Black and POC femmes.
Over 4 years we have witnessed 1,164 femmes across the UK, NYC, Berlin and Oman step into their power, sharing their bodies and stories of shame, courage, vulnerability, trauma and reclamation. We have done this both in real life sessions and more recently online.
It's been an amazing privilege!
We believe that Black Womxn deserve to feel heard, understood, and celebrated, and we have seen first hand the power of sharing our stories.
Our podcast theCommunion, invites muses from previous sessions to share their tools of self-care to empower others in their process of self-acceptance. We only started our podcast (produced by the magical Nicole Logan ) a few months ago and already have over 200 monthly listens from all over the world for which we are very grateful!
We believe in community, collective healing, and the reclamation of our narratives.
We deserve to be seen, heard, and to heal.
WHY IS THIS FUND SO IMPORTANT?
Launched in June 2020, ‘The Black Womxns' Therapy Fund ' is a monthly service offering 5 black womxn the opportunity to access 12 x sessions with accredited black and brown mental health practitioners for free.
We were taken aback and unprepared for the overwhelming requests we received from womxn all over the UK in desperate need of therapy.
Our Traumatologists, Psychotherapists, Counsellors and Systemic/ Art Therapy Family Councillors, also offer discounted rates for new clients and those wishing to continue therapy after their initial 12 sessions.
Coronavirus (Covid-19) and the protests against injustices to Black people in the UK and worldwide have awakened and unearthed internalised racism, informed trauma, harrowing repressed experiences and challenged many in our community, especially those of black womxn.
We created this as we believe in culturally appropriate services for Black Womxn. Our womxn deserve increased, adequate access to timely, Black-led mental health support. In the UK, waiting lists for NHS services are up to a year.
Meaning most people may fail to access services, and during this time, they can disengage and feel hopeless.
Did you know Black Womxn are 4 x times more likely to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act (1983)?
Or that Black Womxn are 3 x time more likely to experience a mental health issue than any other race?
In the UK, for too long Black Wxmens' mental health has fallen off the Mental Health agenda.
We want to change that with a tangible impact.
We cannot ignore the fact that racism, discrimination and socio-economic inequalities inform how we are navigating our mental wellness.
Our goal is to support timely access for Black femme community members to mental health professionals for one on one therapy sessions.
The stripping of the public health system by successive governments has left major gaps and long waits and stripped-down services that are often administered by white practitioners and not through an anti-oppressive lens, which can end up harming more than healing.
Anxiety, Depression, Isolation, Domestic violence, Substance abuse, Eating disorders, Financial stress, Grief, PTSD are just some of the experiences that have been shared with us during the quarantine.
The mental health impacts of COVID-19 are intense — and will last longer than the virus itself.
We believe that black womxn deserve to right to heal and relinquish feelings of shame, guilt, and fear to create space for a new voice.
The voice of self-acceptance and love undefined by their trauma.
BLACK WXMEN MATTER. OUR MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS.
WHERE DOES YOUR MONEY GO?
The Black Womxns Therapy Fund (£25,000):
5 Black Womxn to access FREE therapy for 12 sessions (3 months) per month. After this, there will be a discounted rate offered for them to continue matching their income. This includes support for mothers who require therapy for themselves and the family.
Paying for the emotional labour and skills of our accredited black and queer psychotherapists, counsellors, traumatologists, and art therapists. We currently have 11 from each area and are still recruiting more. This includes supervision once a month for trainee therapists who volunteer their time.
theCommunion podcast (£1200):
The production of our monthly worldwide podcast with filmed interviews, for 6 x months, hosting, curation by myself, produced by Nicole Logan and an assistant editor, renewal of editing software, a mic, guest expenses, artwork creation, subscription for distribution and studio hire.
Core Costs (£3,456):
3 x days a month for an office assistant.
Expenses for a social media intern.
And my time for project management, recruitment and service delivery.
We want to serve our community by investing in them.
Please donate so we can help to provide this much-needed therapy and communion. See this as a small act of service.
Thanks for your time.
Jocelyn x
Fundraising team: Our Naked Truths Team (10)
Yaa Sankofa
Organizer
England
Nicole Logan
Team member
Almass Badat
Team member
Imani Parris-daley
Team member
Amma Aburam
Team member