Free counselling for marginalised communities

Off Beat Therapy

My name is Josiah. I'm a counsellor and the founder of Off Beat Therapy. I offer counselling on a sliding scale and aim to raise money so I can offer blocks of free sessions to those who can't afford the full fee. These sessions will be funded through a mixture of my own voluntary time, crowdfunded money, donations from artwork sold for this purpose, and 'pay it forward' initiatives, as outlined on my website .

The fundraising goal is on a rolling basis - as I reach the next target, I'll set the next one. I'm currently raising funds to offer to the next person on the list.

Who will benefit

I primarily work with the trans and neurodivergent clients, many of whom face barriers to employment and therefore often cannot afford therapy. Recent research shows that only 22% of autistic adults are in any kind of employment (Office for National Statistics 2021). 25% of trans people have experienced homelessness in their lives (Stonewall 2018 ) and the trans community faces many barriers to employment (Government Equalities Office 2018 , LGBT Health 2021 ). Private therapy is therefore out of reach for many people who need it.

How the money will be used

£425* will provide 12 sessions for one individual. This money will cover my time (at a reduced rate for 10 sessions, with the additional sessions as voluntary time) and a proportion of supervision costs and other related costs.

I operate a waiting list for free/low cost sessions. Once the money is raised, one person will come off the waiting list and go into counselling. I will then reset the goal for the next set of sessions. *This total cost may fluctuate with each set of sessions being fundraised, in response to the changing cost of expenses.