Ariana Grande to give away £3.6m in free therapy: ‘I acknowledge that there are very real barriers’

Ariana Grande has partnered with an online counselling service to give away up to $5 million (£3.6m) in free therapy.

In honour of World Mental Health Day on Sunday (10 October), the 28-year-old singer announced that she was partnering with BetterHelp to donate the sessions.

“It’s World Mental Health Day and I’m beyond thrilled to team up with BetterHelp again to give away up to $5 million in free therapy,” Grande wrote on Instagram.

She then acknowledged that “there are very real barriers when it comes to accessing mental health resources”.

“While this is only one small gesture (and a much larger systemic problem remains) I wanted to do this again with BetterHelp in hopes of bringing access to a few more people and perhaps inspiring a few of you to try something new and prioritise your own healing,” Grande wrote.

In June, Grande partnered with BetterHelp for a similar campaign, where she gave away $1 million (£734,000) in therapy.

“I really wanted to do this anyway in hopes of inspiring you to dip a toe in, to feel okay asking for help, and to hopefully rid your minds of any sort of self-judgment in doing so!” Grande wrote at the time. “Healing is not linear or easy but you are worth the effort and time, I promise!”

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.

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