Ashley McGirt on The Therapy Fund Foundation's Journey Towards Global Impact
Photos by Jordan Somers
Ashley McGirt, the founder and CEO of the Therapy Fund Foundation, recently joined Trae Holiday on The Day With Trae to share exciting updates about the organization's expansion. Rooted in Washington and dedicated to "eliminating barriers to Black healing," McGirt's nonprofit provides essential mental health services and resources to the Black community free of charge. With ambitions reaching beyond borders, the organization is embarking on a global journey, extending its reach to states like California, Florida, Georgia, Arizona, Oregon, and beyond. Moreover, a partnership with various soccer teams throughout Africa is poised to revolutionize access to mental health resources within the sports community.
"It's really been an honor and a privilege, and it's bigger than me. There's been some hard days. This is not easy," McGirt said. "Building a foundation, especially when you're building something for Black people, and you're doing something that's never been done before. You're having conversations about mental health, Wellness, race, and social justice."
McGirt reflected on the strides made by the foundation over the past year, highlighting their commitment to breaking down financial obstacles in the mental health field. They funded 16 Future Black clinicians through scholarships, investing over $100,000. In addition, the organization is bringing in professionals as peer support with lived experience to be trained to facilitate community healing circles and engage in one-on-one conversations with others, fostering a supportive environment for growth and understanding. Furthermore, the organization has directed efforts towards empowering the children by imparting essential mental health teachings.
"We have youth ambassadors that we train. We teach them about mental health [so]that they can go into their schools, their communities, [and] they can recognize the signs and symptoms," McGirt said. "We're not teaching them to go out and diagnose and be clinicians, but to have that extra layer, that extra skill to know what to do, not only for themselves but their peers, their family members, and that they can have these conversations in their homes."
McGirt underscored the importance of engaging youth in conversations about mental health.
"One in five of us has a mental illness, but we're not having these conversations. We're not talking to the youth about it. We're talking to them in other ways. We're showing them the negative ramifications of what it means to be stressed out," McGirt said. "But if we talk more openly, and we say, hey, I'm having a hard day, and this is what I do to get through those days, these are the supports that I lean on. It's important for the youth to see that so they can mirror those behaviors."
Looking ahead, McGirt and the Therapy Fund Foundation are gearing up for various upcoming events, with Reclaiming Wellness 2024 as a cornerstone occasion scheduled for July 26. This initiative serves as a behavioral health conference and resource fair dedicated to decolonizing therapeutic practices and enhancing mental health outcomes for BIPOC communities.
"Reclaiming Wellness is a conference to bring in behavioral health clinicians, community members, medical practitioners, doctors, [and] anyone who cares about mental health for communities of color so that we can improve it," McGirt said. "We have nine different workshops. We bring in licensed clinicians [and] people in the field with lived experiences and the knowledge and skill sets to help you better work with communities of color."
The conference will feature Dr. Joy DeGruy, author of Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome, alongside 40 vendors, all delving into an array of topics, ranging from psychedelics to understanding race-based stress. Workshops will also include discussions on suicide prevention for Black youth, as well as sessions dedicated to maternal mental health within communities of color. Until the end of the month, vendors wishing to book a spot at Reclaiming Wellness can submit a proposal here.
Additionally, on March 28, the Therapy Fund Foundation will discuss colorism and its profound impact on Black families. Dr. Sarah L. Webb, a renowned colorism expert, will lead this conversation.
"We're going to talk about what that looks like when we're dealing with the dynamics of families and when you have different colors within your family. My own family, my sister, is very light; I'm dark. We're all on a spectrum," McGirt said. "How does that impact your psychological development when you may have lighter siblings, darker siblings, [or] a parent that does not reflect your skin color but may look like you? So [we] want to have a conversation with that and really help families heal."
Furthermore, the Therapy Fund Foundation will offer a unique opportunity for individuals to engage in their Lunch & Learn, where attendees can enjoy a meal while learning about the foundation's impactful work. Additionally, the foundation will collaborate with Elevate Black Wellness to present Black Wellness Week from April 15 to the 19th. This week-long event promises a range of empowering activities and discussions about promoting health and Wellness within the Black community.
Check the calendar here to stay updated with the Therapy Fund Foundation's many events.
Stay updated on the impactful initiatives organization are working on in your community by tuning in to "The Day With Trae" live at 11 am Monday through Friday on all Converge Media platforms and The Day With Trae's YouTube Channel.
