This World Mental Health Day, I feel it’s important to talk about some of the barriers many people face in accessing mental health care and professional support. This image by the wonderful @makedaisychains illuminates a lot of the external factors that can limit access. . As a mental health care provider, I feel it’s my duty and responsibility to be aware of these factors and to do what I can to help increase access to therapy. One way I do that is by listening to people of all kinds of different backgrounds and experiences so that I can understand more about what it’s like to be someone whose life is different from mine. Increasing our empathy is an important thing in a culture that seems to perpetuate violence, erasure, silencing, minimization, and harm to anyone who is “different.” We can all be part of rejecting that way of thinking by practicing empathy toward everyone, and educating ourselves about others’ experiences by listening, reading, and supporting. . Another way I actively try to minimize access barriers is by offering a flexible fee structure so that therapy can be affordable for my clients. When I was first looking for therapy of my own, long before I was a therapist, I found therapists who offered reduced fees and it was the only reason I was able to afford therapy. It has always been important to me to make sure that someone who wants to engage in therapy is not shut out just because of money. You’re worth it, you deserve to have what you need to feel good, and your existence on this earth should never have to be dependent upon whether you can afford it. . As long as we keep looking out for each other, we can build a culture-wide net to catch everyone before they fall through the cracks. That’s the goal. ❤️ . #therapy #mentalhealth #empathy #radicalempathy #vulnerability #kaytetherapy . . . [repost from @makedaisychains] https://www.instagram.com/p/BoxdO9sn4Vj/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=tl4p2kv0y48u