OnlyFans for Therapy Review: A Daring and Unsettling Emotional Revelation

We are all familiar with the trope of influencers sharing their daily lives, or rather, their "journeys," trying to convince us and perhaps themselves that they are living their best lives. We are also aware of platforms that offer intimate content for payment.

But what if online platforms could serve a more truthful purpose? What if, instead of constant positivity, they showcased a difficult process of healing from trauma?

According to writer and performer Verona Verbakel, it would be more cost-effective than traditional therapy. She estimates that a lifetime of recovery would require 2,599 therapy sessions at £70 each. The cost, whether in money or ongoing distress, must be borne by someone.

The "exposure" in her solo performance, "OnlyFans for Therapy," is emotional rather than physical. It centers on a woman grappling with the aftermath of abuse suffered at the age of five and the added trauma of an investigation when she was eighteen. One moment she appears confident and composed, the next she falters, revealing the persistent, raw, and inescapable damage that lies just beneath the surface.

This production, part of the Big in Belgium program and directed by Karolien De Bleser, displays a distinctly Belgian disregard for conventional theatrical norms. Verbakel's role involves sitting with a stoic expression at a laptop, occasionally making eye contact with the audience, seemingly detached from the content of the personal videos she presents sequentially.

In these videos, Verbakel oscillates between upbeat and tearful moods. She might be seen lying in bed, wearing a sleep mask and delivering a dryly humorous list of emotional triggers, or undertaking painful excursions to the site of the original abuse, breaking down as she revisits these locations. The direct, honest nature of online communication makes the depicted pain all the more palpable in this brave and unsettling performance.