Empowering your mental health journey through cultural sensitivity
One place to find everything we do: the Cultural Therapy app, currently in testing, and P.O.E.T.I.C. T.R.A.P — People Opening Eyes To Inspire Change Through Rhymes And Poetry — our creative and expressive programme. Choose where you'd like to go.
Where would you like to go?
Each link opens in a new tab. Nothing here asks you to sign up first.
The Cultural Therapy app
Culturally grounded support you can use in your own time, from wherever you are. No referral needed.
The app is still in testing. Things may change or break while we build it, and we would welcome your feedback.
culturaltherapyapp.vercel.app ↗ By referralP.O.E.T.I.C. T.R.A.P
People Opening Eyes To Inspire Change Through Rhymes And Poetry
Our creative and expressive programme — writing, music and performance as a way through.
poetictrap.com ↗Peer support
Being part of a community of people who share similar cultural experiences gives a sense of belonging and support. Our online circles run alongside everything else we do.
The app calls this B.L.E.S.S — Building Lived Experience Support Systems. Support comes from people who have been where you have been, rather than from a professional at a distance. You build a Tribe, hold conversations in your Village, and can train as a peer supporter yourself through the Peer Support Academy.
The app is open to anyone — start there if you'd rather not speak to someone yet.
Circles meet online, so you can join from home.
P.O.E.T.I.C. T.R.A.P groups come through referral. Get in touch and we'll talk you through it.
P.O.E.T.I.C. T.R.A.P is peer support with the arts as its medium
Same principle as the circles, different language. Instead of speaking about an experience directly, people write it, set it to music, and perform it to a room of others doing the same. The group is the support; the poem, the verse and the track are how it gets said.
Writing as disclosure
A lyric holds things that are hard to say plainly. Metaphor gives distance, and distance makes it possible to start.
Performance as being heard
Reading your work to the group is the moment the experience stops being private. People respond to the work, and to the person who wrote it.
Rap and poetry as culture
These forms already belong to the communities we work with. Nobody has to translate themselves into clinical language to take part.
Lived experience leading
Sessions are led by people who have come through it themselves, in the same way peer supporters lead the online circles.
Bridging Cultural Diversity and Mental Health Support
At Cultural Therapy, our mission is to bridge the gap between cultural diversity and mental health support. We aim to provide a safe, inclusive, and understanding environment where individuals can connect with peer support workers and mental health professionals who share and understand their cultural backgrounds. By leveraging the power of cultural resonance, we strive to enhance the therapeutic experience, making it more effective and meaningful for our users.
Our team
Kojo Appau-Bonsu
Kojo Appau-Bonsu is the founder of Cultural Therapy. He has lived experience of Manic Depression which is a Bipolar Disorder and works for the NHS in the areas of Patient Safety and the Reduction of Restrictive Practices. His main areas are Business Strategy and the overall branding for Cultural Therapy. His background is in Economics, Finance & Banking with a Masters in Design for Digital Media.
Gerald Appau-Bonsu
Gerald Appau-Bonsu is an award-winning Business and Finance Manager with extensive expertise in brand strategy, business development, and partnership management. With a proven track record of driving success and innovation, Gerald is dedicated to fostering growth and creating impactful solutions for our company, Cultural Therapy.
Eke Mba
Eke Mba is a lived experience practioner who works in the NHS as a Peer Coordinator. With a focus on creativity and depth of expression, Eke facilitates recovery from various mental health issues using a range of therapeutic interventions. With a background in Sociology and Social Psychology, Eke works to deconstruct and highlight the dynamics of positional power and racial bias evident within the Mental Health System today.
Ras Aklila Kedan
Ras Aklila Kedan is the author of the book Parallel, for the Glory of Qedamwi Haile Selassie. He has spoken on various platforms such as podcasts, speakers corner and public events. He has also worked with the NHS as a Consultant to co-create the RasTafari 7 steps to well-being. He is a member of the Ethiopian World Federation and he is here to provide his services for his community.
Brendan Kashta
Brendan Kashta, affectionately known as Brother Bes, is a certified spiritual, meditation, and mindfulness teacher with a rich heritage in African, Caribbean, Asian, and European mysticism. As a spiritual teacher, celebrant, and singer, Brendan founded Kashta Centre for Conscious Healing, where he integrates his diverse talents into a unified mission of promoting spiritual growth and healing. With experience leading classes and ceremonies around the world, including the UK, USA, Jamaica, Ghana, Brazil, Gambia, and Spain, Brendan brings a wealth of wisdom and compassion to his teachings, offering transformative experiences for all.
Marcia Brock
The U.K.’s youngest Microsoft female engineer and the first Black woman to complete the Cisco Wireless Networking qualifications, now classed as a Thought Leader. Over a 20+ year career she has worked with Microsoft, Sony, banks, the military, courts, local government and businesses worldwide. She founded Smart in the early 2000s, and went on to found Trinity Collective, Smart World, SmartKid, Rock Brand, Brown Talent and London Bridge Ladies Who Latte, and co-founded WeRockTeam with the AllGirlsRock, AllBoysRock and Unity in the Community movements. Living with cancers, lupus, EDS and other invisible illness and disability has made her more determined and focused, and she works to bring more women into STEM.
Our Core Values Explained
The core values of cultural therapy include cultural sensitivity, respect for diversity, holistic care, personalized treatment, empowerment, and community engagement, fostering an inclusive approach to mental health that honors each individual's cultural identity.
Empathy
Understanding and compassion are at the heart of what we do. We prioritize empathetic interactions, recognizing that each individual's experiences and feelings are unique and deserving of genuine care and attention.
Respect
We honor and appreciate the diverse cultural backgrounds of our clients, peer supporters and practitioners, ensuring that everyone feels valued and understood. Our platform is designed to create an environment where cultural differences are celebrated and respected.
Diversity
Cultural therapy offers diversity by incorporating various cultural perspectives into treatment, valuing unique traditions and practices, and ensuring that mental health care is inclusive, respectful, and tailored to individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Integrity
Cultural therapy offers integrity by maintaining ethical standards, ensuring confidentiality, respecting cultural differences, and providing honest, transparent communication, thereby building trust and fostering authentic therapeutic relationships with clients.
If you need help right now
We are not an emergency service. Call 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger, 111 and choose option 2 for urgent mental health support, or Samaritans free on 116 123, any time of day.