LOS ANGELES — Pineapple Support is sponsoring a free, eight-week course in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to help adult industry workers develop coping skills for anxiety, stress and depression. The online course begins October 1, with a new two-hour group session happening each week.
Led by Sophia Graham, a disabled, queer coach and therapist working primarily with marginalized individuals and groups, reps say that the course will teach attendees techniques for reducing triggers and coping with crises more effectively.
“Out-of-control emotions can make it hard to maintain friendships and romantic relationships, and can even jeopardize our careers,” said Leya Tanit, founder of Pineapple Support. “Many of us never learned the skills we need to cope with difficult emotions, and that makes it difficult to deal effectively with stressful or distressing situations that inevitably come up in our lives. This course teaches participants how to recognize, understand and regulate emotions so they have more choices about how to manage day-to-day stressors and distressing events.”
DBT is a therapeutic practice that helps develop real-world skills for coping with stress, self-harm, addiction and anger. Course attendees will work in peer groups to learn DBT skills that can be practiced between sessions, with a focus on working with others to understand the skills being taught.
The new training course is open to adult performers at no cost. It will comprise the weekly two-hour sessions and will include homework during the interim between classes. Interested participants can apply here.
Pineapple Support is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit in the United States and a registered charity in the U.K. Since its founding in 2018, it has connected approximately 400 adult performers to mental health services, including free and low-cost, therapy, counseling and emotional support.
For more information, visit them online and follow them on Twitter.