Community-Funded Therapy
There are many, many layers to the systems that keep people from experiencing financial stability and comfort. Oftentimes these systems and the challenges to being able to have a positive and stable financial experience are tied to the reasons that someone might seek out therapy. For example, when a person is working a stress-filled job to meet basic needs for themself and their children, then they may be overexerting themself physically, which can lead to exhaustion and overwhelm, which can lead to a lack of time to socialize or do things that they enjoy or find restful, which can also make parenting feel difficult or impossible. This can lead to feelings of depression and hopelessness because they have limited access to the people and activities that bring them joy because the demands of life in this system ask them to prioritize productivity. Therapy is not the solution, but it can be a great support to someone in these circumstances. And when someone is experiencing this many stressors, it is not right for the cost of therapy to be an additional burden.
This is where the Fill a Bottle Fund comes in. The FBF is an opportunity for folks who are experiencing financial abundance to contribute some of their funds to help offset the cost of therapy for someone experiencing financial distress. Here’s how the FBF works:
Who is this for and what benefits will they receive?
I reserve 2 community funded pro-bono spots for folks who cannot afford the cost of therapy. Each spot affords the individual with 2 free of cost (to them) sessions per month, meaning I will be offering 4 sessions with no cost to clients per month total.
What level of funding is needed for these free of cost sessions to be sustainable?
2 of the 4 sessions (one per individual) I am offering as a donation of my time, care, and skills, while the other 2 sessions will be funded directly from the Fill a Bottle Fund. From a sustainability standpoint, each of these sessions would be funded at the top of the Least Full tier, which is $90 per session. This means, ideally, the FBF would hold $180 per month for these two individuals.
How will funds for the Fill a Bottle Fund be collected?
Contributions for the FBF will be collected through a Ko-Fi account. This allows me to have complete transparency about what funds have been collected towards the goal of $180 each month. Ko-Fi allows one time and recurring, monthly, contributions. Please note: Ko-Fi uses the term “tip” to refer to contributions, as it is a platform often used by artists and creatives to share goods. I will also be offering items through Ko-Fi in the future whose sales will go towards the FBF!
Is my contribution tax deductible?
No, unfortunately, these contributions are not tax deductible because I am a for-profit business and the monies collected for the FBF are a form of payment. Additionally, these contributions will be reported as taxable income.
When I contribute to the FBF, aren’t I just paying you for someone else to receive therapy services?
In short, yes. This is an invitation to participate in the work of therapy. I believe this work, like all good work, is reciprocal in nature, meaning it is part of a network of care for the community – those we have direct contact with and those we will never meet. In order for me to be able to continue to offer therapy to others, the work must be sustainable both financially and energetically.
What happens if you have significantly more than the goal of $180 per month in the FBF?
This would be a great problem to have! If the funds raised each month reach over $250 consistently, I will add another pro-bono spot for a total of 3!