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SCHEDULE A SUPPORT CALL

A herpes diagnosis can destabilize the core of how you see yourself. These support calls aren't about fixing you. They're about being with you, helping you reconnect with who you are beyond the diagnosis. Whether you're preparing to disclose, navigating relationships, or just need to feel seen, this is a space to practice presence and see yourself outside of stigma. If you’re supporting someone, we can help you with that too!

Learn more below before committing.

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When I received my HSV diagnosis this year, I felt like it was the end of the world. I was enjoying dating and a good sex life. I thought it was over. I had very little knowledge of HSV. I felt ambushed and alone. And despite having very close friends, I wasn't sure who I could speak to aside from medical professionals. My 1:1 session with Courtney made a tremendous difference in my ability to process what it means to be HSV-positive and my outlook. It gave me hope and assurance that my life was, in fact, far from over. I am extremely grateful to Courtney and SPPP. I should add that I am dating, having the best sex of my life, and looking forward to the future.

— L., 56

What we offer

Herpes Disclosure Guidance
Ready to share your herpes status with someone? We’ll walk with you through it emotionally and practically. You’ll get clarity, tools, and support to help you disclose from a grounded, confident place. I often reference this podcast episode, so if disclosure is the priority, listen to that first.

  • Venting Space
    You don’t need a script or a solution. Sometimes you just need to talk it out. These calls give you space to express your feelings without fear of being judged, rushed, or redirected.

  • Dating & Relationship Support
    Dating with herpes can challenge your sense of freedom, safety, and self. We help you build trust with yourself and others, while navigating the nuances of communication, rejection, and connection.

  • Support for Partners & Loved Ones
    Supporting someone with herpes? These calls help you understand their experience, and how you can show up for them in ways that center compassion, not control.

How It Works

SUPPORT Calls Are Donation-Based

In order to get the most out of our time together on the call, we have the intake form which lets us go right into your reason for seeking support. Submitting that allows us to get right into your concerns and questions.

  1. Click the Schedule Button Below to Fill Out Our Form
    There is a spot at the end of the form where you can type your donation pledge.

  2. Make a Donation
    Come back to this page to donate below, or visit the footer on any page and contribute to the 1-on-1 Support Call. Once you’ve donated, you’ll receive a link to schedule your 30-minute call. If times need to be adjusted, we’ll plan accordingly.

  3. Receive Personalized Support
    Whether you're processing a diagnosis, preparing for disclosure, or feeling overwhelmed, we’ll meet you in the moment even if it’s just to vent.

  4. Not in a Place to Give?
    Submit your information and question via the form, and we’ll do our best to respond via email as soon as we can with thoughtful guidance.

3% Cover the Fee

These are 30 minute support calls. If the suggested options don't work for your budget, just donate what you can. These calls are for people who need to vent, need advice on navigating stigma, dating, sharing their status, or asking general questions about herpes. If you do not have herpes and want to support someone or are looking to date someone who has herpes, you can schedule a call as well. Once you submit the form and donate, we'll align the time and you'll receive a calendar invite with a virtual call link.

Frequently Asked Questions about the call

  • If you followed the process of submitting the form, scheduling a time within our availability and submitted your donation between Monday and Friday, you’ll hear from us really quickly.Sometimes so fast that people miss the email. If you submitted the form after 1pm Est Friday, then you won’t hear from us until Monday after 1pm Est.

  • Me! Hi I’m Courtney Brame! I’ll be the one contacting you via email from Courtney@spfpp.org. Yes I’m a real person (which surprisingly people don’t expect).

  • I (Courtney) am happy to point you in the direction of alternative support options if for any reason you don’t want me as your support person. Some people prefer to speak with a woman or a member of the LGBT+ community. I listed the the options I’m aware of on the support group page of the site.

  • If you followed the process of submitting the form and your donation but haven’t heard from us within 72 hours then something happened and you should follow up immediately. There could have been a typo in your email, which if there is, we contact you by the phone number you have listed. Outside that, we can’t follow up, so please reach out if you’ve followed the steps and haven’t heard back. If you sent your form but didn’t send your donation, that could be a reason as well. We received the notification once the two step process is complete.

  • Yes it is. I find that people are shocked by the fact that I’m a real person who’s on these calls and sometimes that reality scares people too, and they don’t show up. Please know that I’m a real person hopefully with some kind of credibility at this point and that you can trust that this is a real service.

  • I have your information from the form, but 9/10 times by the time we’re on the phone, emotions have settled or shifted and what’s on the form is irrelevant for people. Because of this, I open our calls by asking “If there were one thing you wanted to make sure we got out of our time together today, what would that one thing be?”. So if you know this coming in,when we have a very efficient call and that keeps us on track for bringing it to completion. Most importantly, you get a 30 minute call. Please be on time.

  • If you scheduled a call with us and the time no longer works, just reply to our email thread and offer an alternative. This is a 30 minute conversation so please do not stretch it out over several days with back and forth emails about scheduling. I work around YOUR availability, so please don’t inquire on ours as it is listed in the support call intake form what our windows are.

  • Depending on your needs, which hopefully would have been fulfilled on the call, you may be directed to working with us in some other capacity as a Yoga Therapy client or attend our virtual support groups. Or maybe you just needed to vent and be heard. Or you just needed to know how to tell a partner. There’s a wide range of possible outcomes that really just depend on what you want from the call.

  • Speaking as Courtney for the organization, we want people to neutralize their internalized stigma and go out into the world in that state to continue to do so. Speaking as Courtney, the human, I really want people to come get what they need and leave. I want people to come away from the support call to be challenged to actively decide for themselves how they want to live their lives without running it through the “well now that I have herpes…” belief systems. Challenge the stigma. Challenge your beliefs with your behaviors. When you think poorly of yourself, take an action that disrupts that. I want people to LIVE. I see that 36% of people who’ve taken out surveys since 2019 have expressed suicide ideation because of theirdiagnosis. I want that number to zero and if I gotta have a 30 minute conversation myself with people to get them there then so be it.

Looking for Ongoing Support?

If you’re craving something deeper, yoga therapy may be your next move. These sessions support emotional healing through movement, stillness, and reflectionhelping you regulate your nervous system and reconnect with your body, breath, self.