Walnut Wellness Fund
For many transgender people, each day is a struggle.
Imagine getting out of bed each morning and having to face a world which insists you aren't the person you know yourself to be.
The toll on mental health is huge. As a trans person, a normal day may include being called the wrong name, hearing the wrong pronouns, having to wear the wrong clothes, being terrified of being outed, not having access to a bathroom, or facing the risk of verbal or physical attack.
It can be extraordinarily difficult to make it through each day, much less hold down a job, access healthcare, and maintain mental health.
We're setting out to help.
cis folks: 1.6%
trans folks: 41%
Suicide Attempt Rates
Walnut Psychotherapy Center is a group of mental health practitioners specifically focused on working with the LGBT community. We know very well how badly our population needs support. Every day, we sit down with our clients and help them work through some of the toughest times in their lives.
Across the country, suicide rates are rising, but in the LGBT population, rates are even higher. Over 40% of transgender people have attempted suicide. It’s a tough number to wrap your head around, but even harder is knowing what to do about it.
The good news is that we do know what to do about it.
We just need your help to make it happen.
Our staff is led by Dr. Danna Bodenheimer, LCSW, who earned her doctorate of social work at the University of Pennsylvania. Danna has been practicing psychotherapy for over 15 years. She is the author of several books, and has lectured and taught on the topic of psychotherapy with the LGBTQ population at many universities. In 2018, Danna was a semifinalist for Philadelphia Magazine’s Health Hero Award. Our staff members were educated at some of the best social work schools in the country, and most are members of the LGBTQ community themselves.
One client says:
"Without your scholarship program I would not be able to receive the weekly therapy I need to maintain wellness."
In addition to the extraordinary need for mental health care, transgender people are more likely to be unemployed, underemployed, or uninsured. In fact, the rate of unemployment among our transgender clients is more than three times higher than that of cisgender clients. Even clients who are employed and have insurance may be facing impossibly high deductibles or too low salaries.
It’s a dangerous combination: higher need for support, and less ability to afford it. This is the reality for transgender people, and it’s a major threat to our communities.
The Walnut Wellness Fund was founded to answer this need.
We're asking you to step in and lend a hand.
Every session at Walnut Psychotherapy Center costs the agency $75. The first $40 to $45 goes directly to the therapist – with a full case load, that comes out to a decent (but far from extravagant) living wage. The next $10 covers the salaries of our small and dedicated administrative staff. $10 goes toward the monthly rent at our strategically located office. The remaining $10 to $15 is split between website fees, software, taxes, office supplies, education and training, professional fees, and credit card processing charges.
While that $75 is just enough to keep us running, it's often far beyond what our clients can afford.
This is where you come in.
You can give the gift of mental wellness.
Each $75 we raise is one more hour of therapy for a transgender person living below the poverty line.
Each hour of therapy is one step closer to wellness, stability, and self-actualization.
All donations to the Walnut Wellness Fund are tax-deductible, and go directly to our client's mental health costs, helping them get the help they urgently need.
When you support our work with a donation, you’re making an immediate difference in the lives of our clients. Every hour of therapy can help to turn someone’s life around.
Another client says:
"I don't think I ever would have come out as trans if it weren't for [my therapist's] support."
Without your help, we can’t keep our doors open to the people who need our help the most.
Can you make a donation to support our work with the trans community?