Pineapple Support: free mental health help for adult creators, and how to use it

I'm not a therapist, and this isn't medical advice. If you're in crisis right now, skip this post and go to Pineapple Support's crisis support directory or your local emergency number.

I haven't used Pineapple Support myself. I'm writing this because it's the resource I'd point any creator to first, new or seasoned, when the work starts weighing on them. It's a nonprofit built for people in our industry, it's mostly free, and it's easy to never look at what it offers. So here it is, from its own pages.

What is Pineapple Support?

A US nonprofit offering mental health support to people working in the online adult industry. Its site describes it as providing "free, stigma-free, and accessible mental health support to all persons working in the online adult industry," and it's a registered 501(c)(3). It was founded by Leya Tanit, a British performer, after the wave of performer suicides in early 2018, per its About page.

What does Pineapple Support offer?

Three main things, per its therapy and support page:

• One-to-one therapy, mostly online, so you can access it "from anywhere."
• Support groups, described as "a safe, confidential space to connect with others who understand your experiences."
• Spill the Tea, "a relaxed, community-driven support space to share experiences."

It also keeps a crisis support directory of helplines by country, for when waiting isn't an option.

How much does it cost?

Most of it is free. Its FAQ says support groups, drop-ins, workshops, webinars and events "are completely free." For one-to-one therapy, "we ask you to contribute what you can afford, and we cover the rest." There's no set fee.

Who qualifies?

The subsidized support has three conditions. You need to "be currently working in the online adult industry," to "have been active in the industry for a minimum of six months, within the last six months," and to "be able to provide proof of your work." Pineapple Support says it walks you through the proof.

That six-month line matters if you're brand new. If you're in your first months, the crisis directory is a public page with no application, and it's worth asking Pineapple Support directly what you can join before you hit six months. If you've been at this a while and can show your work, you meet the stated conditions, and you don't have to be in crisis to use it.

How do you get started, and is it private?

You fill in the therapy request form on its site, which it says takes a few minutes. It processes requests "within three working days," and connection to a therapist usually takes "between one week and four months," depending on urgency and availability.

On privacy, the FAQ says that after you apply "you are assigned a unique internal code that is used between Pineapple Support and your therapist instead of your full name." For people who keep a stage name and a legal name apart, that's worth knowing before you apply.

Why am I recommending it?

Because this work has pressures many jobs don't: public bodies, public comments, money that moves with an algorithm, and a life you may keep partly private. You don't need a breaking point to talk to someone. That's true in your first month and in your fifth year.

It's on my resources page with the other links I'd hand a creator, and I've written about health and fitness for performers in performer health, fitness and mental wellness. I'm still not a therapist. If something's wrong, talk to one.

— Sly