Adult industry mental health nonprofit organization Pineapple Support announced that it has expanded its corporate training initiative with a “drop-in support group dedicated to back-end and support staff that work alongside adult performers and creators.”
The monthly support group will be led by licensed therapists Stephen Mollura and Diane Obeid and will start on Thursday, June 2 at 12pm EST, Pineapple said in its announcement.
“This group will provide a regular opportunity to meet as a group and discuss mental health in a safe space,” said Pineapple Support therapist Stephen Mollura. “This is a drop-in group, so there’s no pressure to stay for a certain number of sessions, and the group members may change from week to week. It will be an opportunity to talk about any concerns you might have or challenges you may be facing.”
The support group will take place once a month and will be available exclusively to online adult industry corporate professionals, including model support, content reviewers, tech team members and other employees of companies that sponsor Pineapple Support.
“The adult industry needs to come together as one team to provide comprehensive support for performers,” said Leya Tanit, founder and CEO of Pineapple Support. “It’s critical that we are able to spot the signs of someone that may be struggling, as well as knowing how to navigate conversations around mental health. But it’s equally important to recognize that support staff experience their own challenges and need support as well.”
“There’s a real need for increased support for those that work on the other side of the screen,” Tanit added. “While the mental health challenges faced by content reviewers are sometimes acknowledged, many who work behind the scenes in the sex industry face challenges of their own, including some of the same stigma and discrimination as performers. I’m glad we’re reaching this underserved group.”
For information on how to become an official sponsor of Pineapple Support, please visit pineapplesupport.org/sponsorship.
