Dr Adam Ficek is a UKCP Accredited Clinical Psychotherapist, MBACP Counsellor and is qualified in EMDR and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. He has been involved in the music industry for 25 years as a performing artist and DJ and toured extensively at top level (EMI/Parlophone/Rough Trade) as a solo artist, band member and as a DJ. Following his own therapeutic experience within the music industry and witnessing the struggles (and consequences) of many of his peers, he decided to train as a psychotherapist.
Adam is experienced in both the NHS and private mental health settings. Areas of expertise include Anxiety, Addiction, Depression, Fame and celebrity, Trauma, Relationships, Burnout, Self esteem, Coaching (psychological and performance), substance abuse, touring and performance strategies.
From my unique perspective as both a professional musician and a psychotherapist I am able to draw upon first hand experience in both therapeutic, and performance practice, towards the implementation and management of mental health strategies in the music industry.
Adam Zubricky is a psychodynamic psychotherapist. Adam was a competitive Ballroom and Latin-American dancer for over 15 years, competing internationally. After an active dancing career, he transitioned into coaching and mentoring high-level dancers, which gave him significant insight into the pressures, expectations, and challenges faced by performers. This personal experience has greatly informed his work as a therapist, allowing Adam to connect deeply with clients from similar backgrounds.
Adam specialises in supporting dancers and other performing artists. He has also worked with actors, comedians, and visual performance artists, applying trauma-informed, relational, and psychodynamic approaches to help them navigate identity, stress, and performance-related issues. Adam can help with a range of issues, particularly: trauma (including sexual violence and complex trauma); gender, sex/sexual, and relationship diversity (GSRD) issues; identity and self-esteem difficulties; eating disorders and body image concerns (particularly for dancers); relationship and attachment difficulties; stress, anxiety, and depression; loss and bereavement; performance pressure and burnout, especially for high-level performers.
Adam offers Psychodynamic Therapy, Trauma-Informed Therapy, GSRD/LGBTQ+ Informed Therapy also using the Relational Approach and Supportive Interventions. Adam is currently in the process of applying for Advanced GSRD accreditation.
"A large part of my experience is within Gender, Sex/Sexual and Relationship Diversity, including issues around LGBTQ+ identity. I am a founder of a psychotherapy service offering long-term support to LGBTQ+ clients in Central/Eastern Europe. In collaboration with leading LGBTQ+ organisations in multiple European countries, I also develop and co-author international projects on queer mental health. In my international work, I deliver workshops, consultations and trainings to healthcare and mental health professionals on queer mental health as well working with GSRD/LGBTQ+ clients.
I am committed to helping you explore what makes you you without telling you what to do or making you feel like you ought to be different. In relation to what makes us who we are, I have experience working with people whose difficulties are around their identities as well as with people whose identities are unrelated to what they come to therapy for. I also believe that who we are and how we are seen by those around us has a direct impact on how we move through the world and feel about ourselves, and I am thus deeply committed to anti-oppressive practices, inviting all aspects of self to the therapy room.
Other areas I have a special interest in include sexual violence, carers, loss and bereavement, migration, culture shock, relationship struggles and the impact of Covid-19.
I frequently work with expats as well as people for whom English is a second language and am comfortable supporting clients who frequently travel, do not have a fixed residence, or call several places home. My particular interest in this area is therapeutic work with people whose primary language (“mother tongue”) is not the language we are working in. In addition to the UK, I have an understanding of the cultural contexts of Scandinavia (primarily Denmark), and Central and Eastern Europe (primarily Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Ukraine). While I have personal experience of living, belonging and moving between multiple countries, I try to avoid assuming that I know what these experiences might mean for you.
I offer sessions in English, Slovak, Czech (and, if combined with English, also Danish).
I've worked extensively with artists and athletes at all levels, but in particular high-level competitive dancers. I have a thorough understanding of the unique pressures and challenges this involves, and I am comfortable supporting individuals functioning in high pressure environments.
I also have experiences working with spirituality, particularly the ways in which that might affect one’s sense of self, including spiritual abuse and trauma and experiences of growing up queer within a spiritual or religious context."
Alex Ioannou is an experienced Dramatherapist, whose work is informed by body psychotherapy and traumatherapy working with people on a 1-1 basis. His therapeutic approach moves between bringing focus on the body and its sensations and movement, accessing the intuitive sensing of imagination and verbal discussion and is primarily collaborative and relational. Before training as a dramatherapist, Alex was an actor and musician, therefore understanding some of the stresses and pressures of a performer's life. He still sings and performs occasionally.
Alex can help with issues relating to anxiety, depression, trauma, relationships, life/career transitions, sleep difficulties, performance anxiety and self esteem.
His therapeutic work is primarily informed by a body based and cultural understanding of trauma. He also has a special interest in working with bicultural people and those with experience of migration and is very mindful of the social and cultural issues around power and difference that affect people's individual difficulties.
Alice Louise Nicholas is a Dramatherapist with 15 years professional experience as a performer / actor, playwright and director in the performing arts. Alice has experience in working with performing artists especially actors, directors, writers, theatre makers, devisers, performers, course leaders / tutors, dancers, producers. She can help with issues relating to any type of mental health, ill health (mild to severe), anxiety, trauma, abuse, neglect, attachment disorders / difficulties stress, relationship difficulties (inter and intra-personal), self-harm, social and emotional difficulties, developmental trauma, self-esteem and confidence.
Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling Level 4
Certificate in Counselling Skills Level 3
Alistair Newton is an experienced BACP Accredited counsellor and supervisor. He has worked as a counsellor in education, in charities, in the NHS as well as in private practice since 2014. The performing arts have seen Alistair work as a singer, actor, comic, presenter, musician, script writer and producer. "I am aware of the many issues that affect musicians and performers which may include anxiety and depression, a difficult work/life balance, uncertainty and financial pressures. I am able to relate to creative people and those who have a lifestyle or working pattern which is outside the mainstream as well as those dealing with creative blocks".
Alistair can help with issues relating to abuse, addiction, affairs and betrayals, alcoholism, anger management, anxiety, autism, bereavement, bullying, career counselling, depression, drug addiction, emotional abuse, family issues, feeling sad, health anxiety, internet addiction, LGBTQ+ counselling, loneliness, low self-confidence, low self-esteem, panic attacks, redundancy, relationship problems, self-harm, separation and divorce, sex addiction, sex problems, social anxiety, stress.
Alistair is also a teacher, university lecturer and trainer. He has recently offered training in bereavement counselling, working with learning difficulties, humanistic counselling as well as counselling skills.
Andrea Binks is a counsellor with three years training at Performers College. As a performing artist she worked as a dancer, singer, actress and presenter. As a counsellor Andrea is experienced in working with performing artists and can help with issues relating to depression, low mood, anxiety, performance anxiety, social anxiety, relationship issues, bereavement, grief and loss, and eating disorders.
Andrew Kitching is an experienced psychotherapist working from his consulting rooms in Belgravia, London, seeing adult clients from varying backgrounds. He has worked as a musician and promoter, and as a senior executive in newspaper and media organisations, and is familiar working with highly creative individuals and business people alike. This specialist knowledge of the creative and business worlds inform his psychotherapy work as well as his experience helping clients with mid-life/career transition, divorce/separation, drink/drug dependency, boarding school syndrome and the attendant depression, stress and anxiety this can evoke.
The focus of his work is to explore the concerns and issues you may have in a confidential and supportive setting, to help you get a better understanding of what makes you tick, who you want to be and how to express that.
Andrew says: “I have always been interested in the creative process and connection through music. I spent my early life working with musicians, first as a concert promoter and then later as a manager. My career ultimately took a different path into news media but in re-training as a psychotherapist in later life, I find myself working with musicians again, now therapeutically."
Angie Knowles is a BACP registered psychotherapist and counsellor, specialising in anxiety, trauma, abuse, stress, depression, confidence, self-esteem, gender, sexuality, addiction, low mood and loss. She has personal experience as an actor and writer.
"I offer a safe, non-judgemental, LGBTQIA+ affirmative space, for you to explore your thoughts, feelings and behaviours".
Anita Gould is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist currently heading the psychological therapies services at the Royal Academy of Music. Anita is experienced in working with performing artists and can help with issues relating to anxiety, work-related stress, performance anxiety, concerns about securing employment and/or income-related work activities, personal issues such as relationship difficulties, traumas, and concerns about the state of the world.
Anita also works with clients having neurodiverse conditions such as ADHD, Autistic Spectrum and OCD. She also offers clinical assessment, psychodynamic psychotherapy (short and long-term), and supervision to other clinicians.
Ansuman Biswas is a BACP registered Integrative Psychotherapist and Counsellor who brings to his therapeutic practice extensive experience as an interdisciplinary artist working in music, film, live art, installation, writing and theatre. Ansuman helps clients in the performing arts with issues including anxiety, depression, PTSD, bereavement, disability, identity, and relationship issues. He uses a number of modalities as an integrative therapist including CBT techniques, existential analysis, person-centered and psychodynamic therapy.
Arran Knight is a counsellor working with musicians, dancers, vocalists, & musical theatre performers. He can help with issues relating to performance anxiety, injury strife, loss of passion, career transitions and retirement, and offers psychosynthesis counselling. Assessments include physical & emotional self care strategies. He provides individual and couples counselling and men's group work.
Beca Jones is a Dramatherapist and Clinical Supervisor with a background in acting and as a drama facilitator. She works both in Welsh and English and is able to speak and understand Spanish to a high standard.
Beca can help with relational issues such as attachment, trauma, learning difficulties, stress and overwhelm, loneliness and isolation, therapeutic parenting, working with highly sensitive individuals, working with empaths, identity and belonging.
Beverley Hills is a MBACP accredited counsellor using several different methods of counselling, registered with health insurers BUPA, AXA PPP, PLE Health and the Vita Health Group (VHG). She has a background in the creative arena, mainly in acting, writing, presenting and voice work and has worked with many clients across the arts. She offers anxiety, panic attacks, feeling sad, low self-esteem, depression, as well as bereavement, performance and social anxiety, general anxiety disorder, family and relationship issues like affairs or betrayal, sexual or communication issues, LGBTQ community problems, including transgender and transitioning, plus BAME issues like diaspora and belonging. Beverley also offers careers counselling.
Beverley is currently in training to be a Hypnotherapist at The University of Surrey, She is a student member of the IHA (International Hypnotherapy Association) and the NCH (National Council for Hypnotherapy) and can offer sessions at a reduced rate whilst in training.
Bill Key holds a CPCAB level 4 Diploma in integrative therapeutic counselling from the Counselling and Psychotherapy Training Academy. He works from a range of methodologies including person-centred therapy and psychodynamic therapy. He worked in the entertainment industry for many years and understands the pressures and stresses involved. He can help performing artists with a wide range of issues including anxiety, anger management, alcohol/substance misuse, sex/love addiction, obsession, feeling ‘different’, low self-esteem, grief, family and relationship problems.
"If you are struggling with stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship problems or unwelcome thoughts or feelings I can help. I offer a safe, positive space for adults and young people where we can work together and enable you to move towards greater self-acceptance and positive change."
Bryn Jones has been practising as a Dramatherapist and mindfulness-based therapist since 2010. His background is as a drama practitioner and theatre director and he has worked as a therapist with many creative professionals including actors, dancers and directors. In his therapy practice he works with individuals, couples and groups, drawing upon his training and experience in dramatherapy, creativity and mindfulness to support people in exploring and working through a wide variety of difficulties and challenges, including:
- Anxiety
- Emotional challenges
- Personal and professional relationships
- Self esteem
- Bereavement
- Depression
- Addiction
- Life transitions and purpose
Bryn lectures in drama and on the Dramatherapy MA at Royal Central School (University of London) and is engaged in research exploring the relationship between dramatherapy, movement and mindfulness. He continues to develop his theatre practice via ongoing projects; performing and directing.
Caroline Chapman is a psychodynamic psychotherapist experienced in working with performing artists to help with problems including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, relationship breakdown and bereavement. Caroline previously worked as a theatre designer and is familiar working with performing arts clients with an explorative and collaborative approach to therapy which facilitates development and change. She also trained as a Dynamic Interpersonal Therapist at the Anna Freud Centre and became an accredited DIT practitioner in 2014.
Charlotte Wadham is a psychodynamic psychotherapist, counsellor and supervisor. She worked in classical music management for 15+ years before training as a therapist. Keen violinist. Also has clients in dance, theatre and film. Can help with problems including depression, anxiety, stress, addictions, bullying, career issues, creative block, identity and self-esteem, post-natal depression, physical health problems and life transitions. See clients in Acton and Hammersmith.
Chris Madden is a counsellor and psychotherapist whose background in the music industry gives him an informed understanding of the sector. His therapeutic experience within the creative community includes supporting many clients from the music, live events and other creative industries such as musicians/vocalists, actors, and production/technical crew. He can help address a broad range of issues including relationship problems/difficulties, anxiety, stress, trauma and depression, problematic alcohol and substance/drug behaviour, crisis intervention. Chris uses an integrative therapeutic approach. He is trained in Person-centred / relational approaches / Solution Focused therapy.
Chris has considerable experience of working with students in university settings and is the lead counsellor/wellbeing officer at a university. He is experienced in working with Autistic Spectrum Disorder/Asperger Syndrome and SEND diagnoses.
He is an accredited Mental Health First Aid (England) Instructor, a therapeutic service provider for the charity Music Support, a member of Help Musicians UK charity’s Health and Welfare Advisory panel and Chair of the Board of Trustees with MAP Charity, a Leeds based charity offering creative programmes for young people at risk of exclusion from mainstream education.
Prior to retraining as a therapist, Chris worked in the music industries for over 20 years.
Chula Goonewardene is an experienced Counsellor and Psychotherapist who worked as a professional musician before becoming a clinical consultant, trainer and psychotherapist with expertise in helping people overcome alcohol and substance misuse.
As a musician, Chula started as a classically trained pianist and violinist, becoming a self-taught guitarist and drummer, and then enjoyed a professional career in music during his 20’s. He later joined what evolved into North Westminster Drug & Alcohol Service, in the voluntary sector of the Substance Misuse field, in 2005; becoming a qualified Motivational Interviewing Practitioner and Advanced Group Facilitator, in addition to gaining an NVQ4 in Health & Social Care Management. He worked with over 600 clients in community-based treatment as a Drug & Alcohol Practitioner, before moving into Treatment Management, Training and Consultancy in 2010 and then qualified as a Counsellor & Psychotherapist in 2014.
Alongside his private psychotherapy practice, Chula is the Co-Founder and Clinical Director of Attune, providing mental health & well-being support packages to organisations and creatives in the Music Industry. He is also a Clinical Consultant for Music Support, The Pocressi Initiative and the Centre for Social Justice, writes and podcasts for various publications, lectures at LSBU, and still finds the time to play drums regularly for the Council of Neptune. Chula comes from a Buddhist family and uses this philosophy to enhance both his personal and professional life.
Colin Mitchell is a highly experienced (BACP Accredited) counsellor and clinical supervisor, who works with clients in the performing arts in Scotland. He obtained an MSc in Counselling from the University of Abertay, Dundee. He furthered his specialist training in EMDR and is a COSCA Accredited Diploma trainer. Colin has delivered post-graduate equivalent training in counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy.
Colin can help with issues relating to low mood, depression, stress, anxiety, OCD, trauma/PTSD, addictive behaviours, disordered eating, anger, self-esteem and identity.
Cornetta Williams Walker is a psychotherapist and supervisor with over ten years experience, registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, Addiction Professionals, British Infertility Counselling Association and the Association for The Treatment of Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity. She is a member of BAATN (The Black, African and Asian Therapy Network). Cornetta's practice has mainly been in the community and within health and social care supporting families with drumming, photography and film-making, and art. She has experience working with vocalists, actors, writers and directors with issues relating to mental health conditions, intimacy, addiction including porn addiction, motivation, fear of rejection, attachment disorders, trauma, depression, anxiety, and racism. Cornetta supports remote interventions including sober coach for actors and artist struggling with alcohol addiction and mental health.
Cornetta can help with issues relating to resilience/ motivation after rejection, stress reduction, audition anxiety, racism/unconscious bias/representation in the industry/diversity, social anxiety, addiction including sex addiction, substance use recovery intervention, general anxiety, boundary setting on set, trauma (historic or current), attachment and connection, working together in a group, sober coach on set when actors are filming home and abroad, working with difficult subject matter and intimacy.
Cornetta uses different approaches including integrative psychotherapy, person-centred recovery and sober coaching, trauma and attachment disorders, relationship issues and couple’s work, hypersexual compulsivity and porn addiction and mindfulness based stress reduction.
Daisy Duval is a humanistic psychotherapeutic counsellor trained in Gestalt, Transactional Analysis, person-centred and existential approaches. She works with parts of the self; metaphor and imagery; clues from the body, such as bodily sensations and gestures; relational patterns noticed in one's personal life and in the therapy room.
Daisy has worked with young people and students, women who have a history of trauma, and people experiencing a range of emotional and relational difficulties often at transitional points in their life. She offers counselling to professional voice users as part of a holistic vocal care centre based in Lewes. Daisy can help with issues relating to anxiety, depression, family issues, loneliness, health related issues, identity issues, life transitions, parenting issues, relationships, self esteem, self-harm, stress, trauma, and work-related issues.
Damian Higgins is a BACP registered counsellor with a humanistic integrative approach focused in the person-centred modality but also including elements of CBT. He is a qualified A-Level Dance and Drama Teacher with a ten year career as a professional musical theatre performer. Damian has been a teacher of Performing Arts for the last 15 years, currently working as course leader for Drama and Dance at Bilborough Sixth Form College.
Damian can help with issues relating to race identity, gender identity, LGBTQI issues, eating disorders, anxiety and stress, confidence building, working on boundaries in life and understanding self and he also delivers sessions of CBT-T for First Steps Eating Disorder.
Dave Chambers is a qualified Person-Centred Counsellor and Psychotherapist offering a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space for musicians, artists and others. He provides online video and telephone therapy to people experiencing a wide range of issues including;
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Eating Disorders
- Low Self-Esteem
- LGBTQ+
- Stress
- Racial Discrimination
- HIV & AIDS
- Relationship Problems
- Anger
Dave specialises in masculinity issues – helping men to become more comfortable with expressing their emotions and vulnerabilities, in order to improve their performance, relationships and quality of life. He has also received additional training in working with clients from the Black, Asian and LGBTQ+ communities and uses affirmative practice. Dave is sensitive to the needs of marginalised people and welcomes clients of all genders, sexualities and ethnicities.
Dave offers a free, no-obligation first session, giving you the opportunity to assess how he works and to help you decide whether you wish to continue.
Dimitrios is a specialist CBT practitioner accredited by the BABCP, which is the primary professional organisation for CBT therapists in the UK. In addition, he is a qualified integrative counsellor and a registered member of the BACP, which is the largest Counselling & Psychotherapy professional body in Europe.
Dimitrios specialises in providing clinical assessments and treatments for individuals struggling with various mental health conditions, such as anxiety, performance anxiety, depression, Social Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), phobias, and panic disorder. In addition, he can help you address issues related to health anxiety, trauma, panic attacks, agoraphobia, anger, shame, personal development, body image, insomnia, work-related stress or issues, self-esteem, low confidence, anger management, and relationship or familial difficulties.
Dimitrios has extensive experience in mental health settings, having worked with diverse client groups from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. He has provided professional services to highly accredited organizations, charities, and institutions such as the English National Healthcare System (NHS), MIND, and Change Grow Live (CGL). In addition, Dimitrios has worked in various settings, including hospitals, medical centres, drug and alcohol services, military bases, and schools. He is highly supervised, works closely with other mental health professionals, follows the National Health and Care Guidelines (NICE) and keeps up to date with developments in CBT and Integrative psychotherapy practice.
Dr Alex Willner offers both short and long-term psychological therapy depending on the nature of the problem, individual needs, hopes and expectations, and the approach adopted, providing a responsive service that focuses on unique, individual needs to find a way forward and is dedicated to making a difference. Psychodynamic therapy is typically integrated with a focused, more behavioural approach directed at symptom alleviation.
As a highly experienced Clinical Psychologist, Chartered Psychologist, HCPC Registered and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, Dr Willner has practiced for over 20 years, working mainly with adults across a wide spectrum of emotional and psychological difficulties.
Expertise and experience to help with a wide range of issues including:
- Eating disorders including Bulimia Nervosa, Anorexia Nervosa and Binge-eating
- Obesity
- Relationship difficulties
- Bereavement, grief, loss or separation
- Low self-esteem and lack of confidence
- Low mood or depression
- Anxiety and stress
- Coping with adjustments and life transitions
- Work-related concerns
Dr Anna Colton is a chartered clinical psychologist, who works with child and adult performers, providing CBT and hypnotherapy, including RTT (rapid transformational hypnotherapy). Experienced supporting cast and crew of West End shows, working with casting directors and supporting child performers and adults. Anna worked as an actor before training as a therapist. Helps clients with performance anxiety, performance coaching, diet, nutrition, eating disorders, self harm, addictions, anxiety, depression, phobias.
She has over 15 years of experience working with children and adolescents who have a whole range of emotional and behavioural difficulties. After completing her undergraduate degree at Bristol university, she did her clinical training at University College London. Since then Anna has worked in the NHS and the private sector at The Tavistock Clinic, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Vincent Square eating disorders clinic and the Priory Roehampton. She now works exclusively in private practice.
She has trained in many psychological models – cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy and systemic therapy. Primarily she now works with CBT as it increases the range of coping strategies available to people, thus equipping them to better manage their emotions and the difficulties that they are having. However, when and where necessary and appropriate she will utilise other psychological models.
In addition to her private practice Anna works on some of the West End stage shows with both the production companies and children who are struggling with a range of issues that are affecting their performance.
Anna has extensive experience of working with psychiatrists, dieticians, family therapists, teachers and other such professionals.
Dr Gabriella Romano is a Clinical Psychologist with expertise in Sleep Disorders. She works with adults struggling with their sleep on issues like insomnia, stress management, anxiety, depression, irritability and low mood, and fatigue.
I am a Clinical Psychologist with a specialist interest in the non-pharmacological treatment of insomnia and sleep disorders. I offer individual and group therapy mostly online. I work with patients to explore the route causes of tiredness, exhaustion, excessive sleepiness, mental unease and use evidence-based approaches to alleviate these, signposting to other experts in the field when needed. I also offer advanced teaching and training to staff groups seeking to enhance their knowledge on sleep and health professionals who would like to develop their clinical practice.
Gabriella uses techniques including CBTi (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia). This approach is most likely to be beneficial to someone who is in a position to wake up at the same time every day for a period of time, so it is not likely to be an effective treatment for people who are currently touring.
Gabriella has 20 years experience of working in academic, community and specialist NHS departments both as a researcher and practitioner psychologist. She is also a singer and a songwriter with experience of performing in front of small and large audiences. She has experience of touring, managing large bands, events and stage management.
CBTi is available for both individuals and groups.
Gabriella practises privately (sleeppsychologist.co.uk) and on the NHS.
The team that Gabriella works with on the NHS are based at: Insomnia and behavioural sleep medicine clinic : University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (uclh.nhs.uk). To be seen as an NHS patient, you must be referred by your NHS GP.
Dr. Sidrah Muntaha is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist working privately and in the NHS, with adults experiencing severe mental health difficulties. She provides individual therapy, group work and supervises/trains mental health professionals delivering psychological treatment. In her private practice, she sees performing artistes, musicians and creatives who are experiencing anxiety, depression, OCD, Psychosis, PTSD and other mental health difficulties. Sidrah has over 20 years of experience working in the NHS, and is trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectic Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Psychodynamic Therapy and Systemic Therapy. She also incorporates music in CBT (CBT-music) to support psychological formulation and treatment.
Dr Stella Compton provides Integrative, cognitive analytic and psychodynamic psychotherapy and now walk talk and equine assisted therapy. Stella studied at the Royal Academy of Music and worked as a performer for many years in all mediums from orchestral, session to jazz and improvising as an HCPC registered Music Therapist. Stella also worked in the NHS for 20 years as a Head of Arts Therapies and Clinical Research Lead.
Stella provides private individually tailored time-limited or longer -term therapies for performers from all areas of the music industry. Stella has helped a wide range of clients including people concerned about eating disorders, body dysmorphophobia, sexuality, bereavement, physical and sexual abuse, neglect, abandonment, job loss, parents caring for with children with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), as well as people with personality disorders and offenders in secure treatment settings.
She now provides a blended programme of online and face to face cognitive analytic and trauma focused sessions, depending on clinets' needs. She has worked with performers to recover from depression as well as performance related, social and generalised anxieties. She uses mindfulness techniques sometimes underlying issues such as domestic violence or historical abuse emerge. Following an initial assessment session, clients can work collaboratively with her to ensure that their therapy or counselling is tailored to meet their needs.
To these services Stella has developed individual programmes of gently paced nature based walk-talk and equine assisted therapy. She is now focusing on the treatment of depression, performance and generalised anxiety.
As of April 2024 Stella will be providing therapeutic retreats for people who have suffered trauma. For details please refer to website.
Recent publications:
Dr. Tom Mountjoy is an experienced HCPC Registered Clinical Psychologist and Chartered Psychologist with substantial experience across mental health, clinical health psychology, and neuropsychology settings (NHS and Independent Practice). He is also a published Composer/Producer and multi-instrumentalist, working exclusively in television and film production music, and splits his time between these two professions.
Tom has a genuine interest in the Arts and a solid understanding of many challenges faced by people working in this field. He is experienced in working therapeutically with high-performing individuals from a range of industries, and is dedicated in offering quality mental health input to working-age adults.
Clinically, Tom provides assessment and therapy services that address a variety of psychological issues, including anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions, as well as workplace-related challenges and occupational stress. He has additional interests in acquired brain injury, neurological conditions, medically unexplained symptoms and neurological-like symptoms, and adjustment to living with chronic health conditions and disability.
In terms of therapeutic approach, Tom predominantly uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Cognitive Analytic Therapy informed approaches but adopts an integrative style. He offers remote consultations (nationwide) and face-to-face appointments (central Leeds). Tom sees individuals aged 18 upwards and works clinically on Mondays and Tuesdays; please expect a delay in response outside of these times.
Areas of interest:
Mental Health, including:
• Anxiety
• Depression and low-mood
• Stress and adjustment to difficult life events
• Panic Attacks
• Phobias
• Self-esteem and assertiveness
Occupational Health:
• Workplace stress management
• Developing resilience
• Managing work-life balance
• Specialist assessment and support
Physical Health:
• The psychological impact of living with physical health conditions such as neurological conditions (including acquired brain injury, multiple sclerosis, brain tumours, stroke), chronic health conditions, and medically unexplained and neurological-like symptoms (such as non-epileptic attacks and functional movement disorders)
• Living with other difficulties related to health conditions, such as chronic pain and issues relating to self-identity
Emel Mehmet is a Counsellor, Psychotherapist and Educational Psychotherapist. She works with clients mostly aged 11 - 30, including children, teenagers, young people and families on issues relating to identity and sense of self, self-worth, shame, anxiety, panic attacks, performance anxiety, depression, self harm, suicidal ideation, victims of abuse, relationship difficulties, learning difficulties, racial identity, eating disorders, body dysmorphia and body image, bereavement, grief and trauma.
Educational Psychotherapy (EPT) is a technique that allows the therapist to have insight into the client's internal world through various tasks, working with the barriers that hinder learning and development. EPT is ideal for people whose behaviour, learning, or emotions seem stuck in a cycle or spiral, and for anyone who is not comfortable with direct talking or doesn't feel able to talk. Educational Psychotherapy is a highly effective way of helping people to learn. It combines teaching with a chance to explore and make sense of painful or traumatic experiences that might get in the way of learning and development.
Since 2008 Emel has worked in a variety of educational settings including in an international school. Her background is in teaching young people with additional needs, hence her special interest in working with students using creative tasks. She currently works at Leytonstone Secondary School and the Royal Academy of Music.
Emel studied dance and enjoys supporting performing artists and maintaining a connection with the arts.
Fiona Gray is a Trauma Informed Counsellor, Therapeutic Coach and Clinical Supervisor, and a former contemporary dancer. For several years, Fiona has worked within an NHS Talking Therapy Service. Fiona is also experienced in working with performing artists including actors, dancers, musicians and other creatives for a number of organisations including MIF - Manchester International Festival, ACE Dance and Music based in Birmingham. She also works with Musicians from The Royal Northern College of Music.
Fiona offers Person-Centred Counselling, long and short-term counselling and short-term therapeutic coaching, which incorporates creative visualisation, breathwork, inner child work, parts-therapy and chair work. She can help with issues relating to anxiety, depression, historical child sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and abandonment, trauma, confidence, stage fright, emotional support through the creative process, personal and professional development and creative block.
Fiona Macbeth is an integrative counsellor and psychotherapist who has worked with hundreds of performers running the counselling service at one of the bigger London Colleges for the Performing Arts for several years, as well as working with many adult performers referred via BAPAM. Fiona worked for many years at a managerial level at the BBC, and understands the stresses of corporate employment and modern living. Experienced in working with panic attacks, performance anxiety, generalised anxiety and low self-esteem but also a range of other psychological issues common to performers including perfectionism, confused identity, repressed emotions, distress due to physical injury and eating disorders. Fiona is also a counselling lecturer at a Brighton Adult Education College. She sees clients face to face in Brighton and offers online counselling. Please visit www.fionamacbeth.co.uk to see latest blogs. She offers a discounted rate to BAPAM referrals. She sees clients face to face in Brighton and offers online counselling. Please visit www.fionamacbeth.co.uk to see latest blogs.
Following graduation from Central School I spent many years working in TiE (Theatre in Education). I also worked in repertory theatre, TV, commercials and extensively as a voice-over artist. I continued to work in the profession until 2011 when I began training as a psychotherapist.
I have been working with actors, dancers, musicians, writers and artists, together with production staff and technical crew, for many years. I enjoy this work immensely and it has become a special interest of mine; identifying the common issues among artists and how I might best use my own experience of the profession and my experience of counselling and psychotherapy to assist them. I have developed this knowledge and experience over the years to include “Know-How” and “Wellbeing” workshops, the most recent of which being “Understanding and Managing Performance and Audition Anxiety”.
Over the years I have been presented with issues including self-confidence, procrastination, self-esteem, perfectionism, unemployment, issues around success and failure, writer’s block, performance and audition anxieties, phobias, criticism, managing injury, issues around ageing, career change and career development. However, in my experience, not all clients present with issues relating to their career.
I have particular experience in working with performance and audition anxiety, and anxiety, depression and panic attacks in general.
More information for clients in London: www.fjmtherapy.co.uk
Clients in Liverpool, Manchester and Cheshire: www.fionamackenzie.co.uk
Gabriella Flatt is an integrative psychotherapist. She tailors her therapy to each client's needs, using psychodynamic, humanistic/relational/person centred plus CBT approaches. Her work is also based on forming a strong and supportive connection with her clients to facilitate change. Due to her creative background, Gabriella enables this in her clinical work by drawing on narrative therapy or working with metaphors and imagery to help verbalise trauma and drawing on different perspectives and ideas to match every individual.
Gabriella helps with a range of issues which include performance anxiety, bereavement, sexual orientation, domestic/sexual abuse, trauma, drug addiction, underlying depression/psychosis and personality disorders. She has experience in mental health support of musicians (including string players/pianists/opera singers/musical theatre performers/jazz musicians) as well as with film actors/theatre directors and puppeteers (in the theatre).
Before becoming a psychotherapist, Gabriella worked as a professional session violinist for film sound scores, West End shows and as a classical rep pianist for opera studios in London. Her background has always been in music and the arts having grown up in a very creative family.
"Music is itself a fascinating professional industry but one that also enables a great degree of anxiety and low self-esteem to flourish."
Geoff Baxter is a psychotherapist and performance coach.
"I am a BABCP Accredited Cognitive Behaviour Therapist (CBT) with over 15 years experience. I see clients in Hitchin, Hertfordshire and Marylebone, Central London and also provide supervision in CBT and REBT.
After initial training as a musician in Northern Ireland I moved to London to pursue a career as a professional trombonist. It was during this time that I first became interested in therapy, initially in relation to performance. After completing a Masters degree in psychology for musicians I decided to pursue therapy as a career and then went about acquiring the training and knowledge necessary.
I have worked as a CBT Therapist at the Priory Hospital and a performance therapist at Trinity College of Music. In addition to my clinical work I have also taught and supervised students on the Rational Emotive & Cognitive- Behaviour Therapy Masters Degree course at Goldsmith’s College, University of London. I currently work in private practice."
Please contact Gill via BAPAM or the use contact form on her website.
Gill Murchie is a psychotherapist and counsellor with a particular interest in attachment, relationships and loss. She uses a therapeutic approach based on Transactional Analysis (TA). She is also a Mental Health First Aid instructor. Her experience with creative professionals includes helping production and television crew, musicians, west end performers, singers, and songwriters with concerns around performance, self-worth, injury at work, and lack of work.
Special interests include managing transitions such as redundancy, retirement, career change and family issues including separation, divorce, affairs and betrayals. She works with clients who have experience of abuse, historic sexual abuse, domestic violence. More broadly, she helps people manage anxiety, depression, illness, bereavement, stress, parenting issues, bullying and physical health problems.
Gills works with adults and young people aged 16 and over. She is a professional advisor to youngminds.org.uk and an online crisis counsellor for giveusashout.org.
She has worked in the NHS, social services and the voluntary sector. Over the last 20 years, she has worked in Higher Education, lecturing in developmental psychology and gaining a broad range of experience of working with students, teachers, tutors and lecturers.
Hannah is a psychotherapist specialising in EMDR. She has worked with a variety of creative practitioners working from violinists to singers and DJs, and can help with trauma, anxiety, depression, performance anxiety, bereavement etc. She also uses EMDR to support performance optimisation for those working in the arts, sport, business and science.
Heather Boyle is a psychotherapist who for the past 30 years has worked in the Emergency Services, supporting colleagues who have been involved, directly or indirectly, with traumatic incidents. Heather is experienced in working with individuals who have been involved in abusive relationships and has worked within the NHS and the 3rd sector providing emotional and psychological support to the public across a number of different issues.
Heather can help with issues relating to performance anxiety, OCD, abuse, trauma, relationship issues including high conflict, depression, addictions, loss/bereavement, anger issues, loss of identity and several more. She has a personal interest in the performing arts and experience in amateur drama and dance.
Heather is a dramatherapist based in County Armagh in Northern Ireland, having graduated from Maynooth University in Kildare in 2018. She works full-time as a Psychological Trauma Therapist using Dramatherapy and cognitive behavioural practice in the Trauma Centre in the Belfast NHS Trust. She has a specific interest in trauma and specialises in one-to-one sessions. Heather is also a singer, and has experience in acting and presenting, as well as working freelance for community groups and private clients.
Heather is passionate about promoting dramatherapy within the NI NHS Trusts, as well as working towards creating a dramatherapy Masters' course in Northern Irish universities. Heatheris the Vice-Chair for BADth (British Association of Dramatherapists),the NI rep for dramatherapy in AHPFNI (Allied Health Professionals Federation Northern Ireland), and is also a former council person and registered member of IACAT (Irish Association of Creative Arts Therapists).
Heidi Shepherd is an accredited, integrative counsellor offering short & longer-term online & phone counselling/psychotherapy. Her approach draws mainly on person-centred and psychodynamic concepts/theory although she also works creatively and intuitively within the moment. Heidi also offer EMDR therapy.
Heidi's background is in the creative and performing arts worlds, which has given her a deeper understanding of the personal problems, mental health concerns and struggles often encountered by those working in the industry. "I think there is a common misconception about people who work in performing arts, that they are somehow immune to rejection, criticism, relationship problems, financial hardship or work dry-spells etc. I want to address this and help them gain greater self-awareness, develop skills to regulate their emotions, better manage their public vs private identity and equip them with new coping strategies. My overarching aim is to help my clients improve all aspects of their life including their work/career".
Heidi is experienced in working with creatives, performers, production and crew members on issues including but not limited to depression, anxiety, work and career issues, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, feelings of loneliness and isolation, suicidal feelings, self-harming, addiction, sexual assault, trauma, loss and bereavement.
Helen Brice is an experienced psychotherapist, counsellor and skills coach who worked for 17 years in the commercial music industry as a performer, music producer & manager before going on to set up a psychotherapeutic service for performers, Stimmung Therapy. Where appropriate, clients can access the Stimmung Therapy Programme, delivered together with Miranda Jackson, who is also a BAPAM Registered therapist. Initial assessment is followed by a combination of trauma/existential/autogenic work, and skills coaching and behaviour therapy for breaking old habits and creating new ones. Helen also offers Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (RO DBT)-informed sessions for maladaptive perfectionism and procrastination.
Ivor Ottley is a Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapist, registered with BACP. He worked as a professional violinist and violin teacher throughout his life but had to change career focus due to tinnitus. He is also a published writer and wildlife photographer and has much experience working as and being around creative people and those working in the arts on all levels.
Ivor can help with issues relating to performance anxiety, creativity, creative blocks, abuse, addictions, AIDS/HIV, anger management, anxiety, bereavement, business coaching, cancer, career coaching and support with career transition, chronic fatigue syndrome / ME, cultural issues, depression, disability, eating disorders, health related issues, identity issues, infertility, life coaching, loss, , men's issues, obsessions, OCD, personal development, phobias, post-traumatic stress, pregnancy related issues, redundancy, relationships, self esteem, self-harm, service veterans, sex-related issues, sexual identity, sexuality, spirituality, stress, trauma, women's issues, and work related issues.
"I know first hand how poorly issues affecting creative work can be handled and their devastating effects…I know how to help because I have been through it myself, and I have the necessary training, understanding and empathy. I enjoy working with creative people and have had a lifelong interest in how performers can be helped".
Contact details available from BAPAM.
Jack Williamson is a BACP Accredited Integrative Psychotherapist who has also worked for over 20 years in the music industry in a variety of different roles, from PR to label executive and artist management. Since 2017 he has focused increasingly on supporting mental health and well-being. Jack is also a certified coach, couples therapist and group facilitator. Jack has training in working with LGBTQIA+ clients. He is skilled at coping with or managing a transition in any field, working with individuals, couples, groups and organisations, supporting clients as they navigate their way through a whole different range of life issues and transitions.
Through his company Music & You, Jack’s work supports the mental health and wellbeing of individuals, artists and organisations. This support has ranged from wellness coaching to sessions delivered as talks, webinars and workshops. His work has been embraced by major record labels Warner, Universal, BMG, the leading trade bodies, BPI, UK Music, MMF, PRS, PPL and MPA. Jack’s skills and expertise support the ever-evolving needs and demands that those working in the music industry face. His work tackles issues including but not limited to anxiety, depression, identity issues, addiction and trauma.
John Wild is an integrative psychotherapist who combines different therapeutic tools and approaches such as psychodynamic, CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), Person centred, Behavioural, Gestalt and EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques). This helps to deliver a unique and effective form of treatment that is suitable for individual needs. He also draws on the principles of mindfulness and is trained as a Hypnotherapist and can offer this as a complementary therapy.
John trained and worked as an actor in Theatre, TV and film, directed and produced theatre and led workshops and taught throughout Europe. He has trained as a voice coach and taught voice in a number of leading London drama schools for over 10 years.
As a psychotherapist, he helps clients with emotional trauma, disconnection, stage fright, bereavement, Stress and Anxiety, Procrastination, Depression, Self-harming, Suicidal thoughts, self-esteem, abuse: physical, emotional, sexual, Childhood trauma, Relationship issues, Dealing with illness including cancer, Life transitions & changes, Spiritual issues, Motivation, Unblocking creative potential.
Jonathan Falcone is a qualified psychotherapist with a Masters Degree (MSc) in Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy, a Clinical Diploma (Cl Dip) in Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy. He is certified by the European Association of Transactional Analysis (EATA) and has a certificate of accreditation in the NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) endorsed ‘couples therapy for depression (CTFD)’ programme at the Tavistock Institute. Jonathan is registered as a Member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP), the International Association of Relational Transactional Analysis (IARTA) and the European Association of Transactional Analysis (EATA).
Jonathan has an interest in relational therapy techniques and couples work and, as a former professional musician, understands the pressures of performance, judgement and balancing creativity with financial stability. "I believe these types of pressures affect everyone, not just musicians or artists and, accordingly, I like looking creatively at our life situations and using the power of imagination to help us move toward the places we want to inhabit".
Jonathan supports musicians and people in the creative industries to explore themselves and either manage difficult experiences, feelings and behaviours, such as anxiety, depression, stress, uncertainty, inner conflict or other areas of emotional challenge. He also helps creative clients to thrive and gain more for themselves, to support them to trust their instincts more, and feel less inhibited in expressing their wants and needs.
Josephine Cropper is an experienced psychotherapist and Complex trauma specialist (PTSD) who uses an integrative approach and modalities including TRE Trauma Release Exercises. She is an amateur pianist and has helped numerous artists and creative professionals in areas such as assertiveness, self-esteem, childhood trauma, trauma body issues, performance anxiety, panic attacks anger management, and relationship issues. She based in Horwich, Bolton and also consults via Skype.
Kasia Marzyńska is a psychotherapist experienced helping a wide range of performing artists having worked for five years at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Kasia specialises in EMDR and trauma therapy and offers mindfulness based cognitive therapy.
She works with a wide range of psychological problems including: depression, anxiety, Stage fright, low self-esteem & low confidence, sexual identity and diversity, loss & bereavement, stress, bullying, racism, relationship difficulties, abuse, trauma, intergenerational trauma, PTSD and CPTSD, childhood adverse experience and neglect, anger, shame, disordered eating, chronic illness, phobias and OCD, life transitions and isolation.
Kasia offers counselling and psychotherapy short and long term; Gestalt Psychotherapy, EMDR & Trauma Therapy, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy.
Kasia speaks English, Polish and Italian.
Katerina can help artists and performance professionals with concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, identity, relationship difficulties, job loss/redundancy, trauma, loss/bereavement, chronic illness, suicidal ideation, self-harm, eating disorders. She is of Greek Cypriot heritage, and sensitive to cultural difference.
Katerina is a UKCP registered psychotherapist and group therapist, as well as an MBACP accredited counsellor and psychotherapist and group facilitator, working with adults aged 18+ in a GP surgery, private practice and through the Music Minds Matter scheme. She is the author of ‘How to Understand and Deal with Stress’ and ‘Your Mind Matters: How to Talk About Your Mental Health’.
She has worked as an honorary psychotherapist at Barnet, Enfield and Haringey NHS Mental Health Trust, and previously as a university counsellor and a specialist mental health mentor.
Prior to training as a therapist, Katerina was a Samaritans helpline listener for four years, and also worked for Samaritans full time during the Men on the Ropes research campaign into male suicide. She was also a trained life coach for Mind in Haringey supporting vulnerable young-adult care leavers, and a volunteer for ChildLine's schools service delivering assemblies and workshops to primary school children on abuse and neglect.
Alongside therapy, Katerina is a freelance writer and sub-editor for magazines and national press. She is attuned to the issues that creative and journalistic professions can bring up, and routinely combines her counselling and journalistic work raising awareness of mental health in the national press, media, radio and podcasts.
Katerina is the founder, producer and host of the music and mental health podcast Sound Affects Podcast, where she explores all crossovers of music and mental health via a series of interviews with high profile musicians, therapists, academics, key figures and experts in the field.
Kaylea is a person-centred counsellor, working in an integrative way to suit individual need: "I believe no two people are ever the same, so how can a counselling approach be? For that reason, my work is predominantly non-directive as I believe the client is the expert of themselves, so the approach to therapy should be whatever feels right for the client." She has worked with artists and writers, using a creative approach as a tool for self-exploration. Kaylea is also a Lead Counsellor for an Arts based university working with students within the arts sector.
Kaylea has a BA (Hons) in Performing Arts and has worked as an actor, facilitator and voice over artist. She has also worked within the corporate role-play sector for many years. Alongside her person-centred training, she has an extensive background in the arts, using expressive arts in her counselling work when appropriate. Kaylea has also received training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and is experienced at being an Arts for Wellbeing Practitioner. She is also currently working towards a Masters in Counselling & Psychotherapy, exploring the use of Expressive Arts for chronic pain.
She can help with issues relating to anxiety, depression, domestic violence, sexual abuse, trauma, health related difficulties, bereavement & loss, stress, self-esteem, self harm, relationship and work difficulties. Kaylea has counselling rooms in central Manchester and Boothstown.
Keith Cooper worked (and continues to do so) as an artist manager & music publisher for over 30 years before qualifying as a psychotherapist. He supports clients in the creative industries including artists, DJs, managers, actors, writers and performers with concerns including performance anxiety, creative block, inter band relationships, professional and creative direction, issues of fame, money, success, touring, burn out, creative-commercial tension, commercialisation/commodification. He is an integrative therapist, primarily drawing on psychodynamic, humanistic & existential modalities.
Kristina Kennedy is an experienced UKCP MBACP, Integrative Psychotherapist and EMDR Practitioner. In addition to helping clients through Integrative and Transpersonal psychotherapy and EMDR approaches, Kristina is an ICF PCC Transformative Coach which enables her to combine coaching and psychotherapy for those seeking a more structured Coach-Therapy approach.
I help artists, actors, musicians, dancers, singers and other creative professionals work through and overcome many of the stresses and anxieties that are natural to the industry. I work daily with clients suffering from imposter Syndrome, low self-esteem, insecurities in the industry, stage- and performance anxiety. The nature of the industry can be harsh and unstable and I feel it is incredibly important to help artists stay healthy, confident and on track with their goals. I offer a holding, professional, non-judgemental safe space where encouragement, guidance, motivation and positive mindset is practised and embodied. My work is traditional psychotherapy but also experiential and I offer mindfulness techniques and creative work if appropriate and useful during preparation and prior to performing. I offer a place where it is safe to be authentic, vulnerable and truthful.
I bring together a variety of approaches and techniques that will be specific to my work with you. Areas I frequently work with are:
Anxiety, Bereavement, Depression, Loss, Post-traumatic stress, Trauma, Expatriate and Relocation issues, Career coaching, Development coaching, Executive coaching, Life coaching, Personal development, ADD / ADHD, Cancer, Chronic fatigue, Health related issues, Cultural issues, Men’s issues, Self-esteem, Spirituality, Women’s issues, Child related issues, Relationships, Sex-related issues, Anger management, Redundancy, Stress, Work related issues.
Laura is a qualified and accredited counsellor and psychotherapist, providing one-to-one sessions online and in Bicester, Oxfordshire. She works with people experiencing a wide range of issues, including depression, anxiety, stress, anger, relationship difficulties and low self-esteem.
As a trained dancer and dance teacher with 15 years’ experience in the performing arts sector, Laura is passionate about working with performers, dancers and students. She provides a safe and supportive space where you can speak about and process anything that is bothering you, whether related to your career or other life experiences.
Laura is trained in a variety of different styles and tailors her approach according to each client’s individual needs. Her main training is in psychodynamic counselling and psychotherapy, but she also draws on CBT, positive psychology and creative therapy tools. She is a member of the National Counselling Society.
Laura offers a free, no-obligation consultation to find out more about counselling and consider whether it's right for you. If you choose to continue with counselling sessions, BAPAM members get a discount.
Lizzie Devlin is an Art Psychotherapist and Clinical Supervisor who works on one to one basis and in group-work. She has ten years clinical experience working with both children and adults in specialist Counselling services in the community and in schools.
As an Art Psychotherapist Lizzie has provided support to musicians and vocalists and has extensive experience working in the arts, and in the arts in health sector for over 30 years. Separate to her work as an Art Psychotherapist Lizzie is an Arts Development Officer with the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and works with a with a diverse range of arts organisations and artists across all art-form practices including circus and carnival, theatre companies, arts in health, intercultural arts and festivals and venues.
Lizzie is keen to provide therapeutic support for practitioners, musicians, performers, production and technical staff in the Creative Sector. She has clinical experience of supporting individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, bereavement, relationship difficulties, autism, ADHD, developmental, psychological trauma, PTSD and Bi-polar disorder.
Her background is in Fine Art (Leeds University) where her studio practice specialised in print-making and painting. In her youth Lizzie was a member of an Irish Dance Ballet company which instilled a life-long interest in all genres of dance.
Lucinda Drayton is a BACP accredited Integrative Counsellor helping clients with issues including performance anxiety, low self esteem, fear-based issues, grief, anxiety and depression, gender issues, and relationship breakdown and/or challenges. Lucinda provides psychotherapy and psychoeducation, deep relaxation techniques, mindfulness meditation and emotional freedom work (tapping, similar to EFT).
Lucinda is also a singer-songwriter. "I understand the particular challenges faced by those in the performing arts. The insecurity of work, the audition process, dealing with rejection and the stresses of performing. It requires a particular kind of resilience to be able to cope with life as a performer".
Lynn Marie Boudreau is an integrative psychotherapist and hypnotherapist who previously trained as an opera singer and sang professionally for 14 years, including with the Welsh National Opera. As a therapist, Lynn uses a variety of techniques to provide a holistic approach that suits the client and their needs. She helps clients with issues relating to mental health such as anxiety, depression, fear, trauma and difficult emotions. She can help with self-doubt and physiological symptoms that prevent artists from experiencing optimal performance. She can also help with lifestyle and wellbeing - such as weight management, sleep issues and unwanted habits - and with personal development such as motivation, identity and building a successful mindset. Lynn uses Hypno-psychotherapy (combining hypnosis and psychotherapy) to address internal conflict and trauma. She also provides coaching and teaches skill-based approaches to overcome challenges and achieve goals.
I have an integrative approach and combine different methods in a way to suit you best. First, we work on building awareness of which negative emotions and beliefs are keeping you stuck in a cycle of unhelpful patterns. Second, we work to dislodge the old patterns, settle internal conflicts and process the negative emotions. Third, you create new ways to think, feel and respond to new experiences, without the past baggage, all while building your confidence, strengths and resources to move forward.
Maria Lawford is a Psychodynamic counsellor with personal experience as an actor and working in theatre. She went on to train in Psychodynamic Counselling, Psychoanalytic Studies and trauma focused CBT, gaining considerable experience in the NHS supporting clients with acute and physical conditions. She now helps clients including professionals and students in the performing arts manage and overcome concerns such as:
Performance anxiety, low self esteem and managing stress, anxiety and panic
Relationship problems - at work and home - living away from home, beginning relationships with new teams, rivalry and power dynamics
Trauma, bullying and intimidation, abuse - historic and current
Financial issues and unemployment - anxiety around finding work
Separation and loss (including support for touring professionals),
Bereavement
Accident and illness
Addictive behaviours
Maria uses a flexible therapeutic approach, tailored to each individual, combining elements of Psychodynamic counselling; CBT/behavioural techniques; trauma focused work; person-centered and relational, solution focused therapy. She can provide long and short term therapy in person or by video and telephone.
Maria has experience in working with and alongside a broad range of people in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, faiths, sexual orientation, disability, education and national origin. She respects and appreciates diversity and the positive value this gives to the places of work and in society.
Maria trained in music performance at the Royal Academy of Music (cello) and has worked as a freelance musician and teacher (currently at The Academy of Contemporary Music). She is a qualified music therapist of more than 25 years’ experience, and is a specialist in Guided Imagery and Music (GIM), offering sessions in London and Stroud, Gloucestershire as well as online.
GIM is a type of receptive music psychotherapy designed to explore unconscious processes, and can help with developing inner resources and resilience by strengthening the connection to the client’s internal world. GIM can support people struggling with depression, anxiety, and performance anxiety, and encourages relaxation skills whilst challenging unhealthy thought processes.
Maria is also qualified in GIM modifications, which can be used where there is trauma or severe mental health issues, and can also integrate Breath Body Mind practices to help with stabilising the nervous system, through mindful movement and Coherent Breathing.
Maria has experience working with PTSD, CPTSD, depression and anxiety, and with people experiencing acute and recovery phases of mental illness. She has helped clients manage alcohol misuse, bipolar disorder, personality disorder, and also has expertise with people with living with dementia, and learning and physical disabilities.
More information about GIM can be found here: https://www.musictherapyreimagined.com/information
AIM Awards: Level 3 March 2014, BEd (Hons) Primary (Middle Age Range 8-12)
Martin Handy is a pluralistic therapist/counsellor integrating CBT, psychodynamic and person-centred therapy. Martin has studied compassion-focused therapy, mindfulness-based CBT, DBT, depth psychology, and working with personality disorders. He is an accredited member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society and registrant member of The National Hypnotherapy Society. Martin is a tutor at Chrysalis Courses for Diplomas in Hypnotherapy and Counselling.
Martin can help with issues relating to depression, relationships, life transition, life direction, sexuality, gender, anxiety, organisation and management, personality disorders, bipolar, OCD, addictions, trauma, and complex grief.
Martin works with performers "because I am a musician myself and understand the anxieties and stresses of public performance. I also used to be Head of Music in primary schools when I used to be a teacher and understand the stresses and issues related to performance nerves, self-criticism and critical reviews of one's work. I also like working with creative individuals and how it can be a positive resource in therapy".
Martin Poole is a person-centred counsellor who brings 30 years of work experience as a professional actor, theatre director and producer, as well as experience as a band manager to his practice as a therapist. Martin has a deep understanding of the lifestyles, unpredictable working patterns, and issues encountered by actors, musicians and creative artists. He provides support with issues relating to anxiety and depression, separation and divorce, childhood sexual abuse, bereavement and loss, anger issues, health anxiety, loneliness, alcohol and drug use and abuse, weight issues and suicide.
Hypnotherapy, stress management and CBT based psychotherapy provided both face to face and online, for instance for musicians on tour. Martyn is a former professional rock musician with considerable experience working with creative practitioners.
Matthew Benjamin is a psychotherapeutic counsellor, who worked in the music industry for over thirty years before training to be a therapist. His experience in the creative realm and music world is vast. Matthew has taken the path to work in therapeutic practices, with a deep desire to facilitate helping others to learn more about themselves, to develop, and grow.
Matthew works online, helping performing arts clients with a wide range of emotional and mental health related issues. These include anxiety, depression, addiction, grief and loss, relationship, work issues, stress, and low self esteem. He worked in the music industry for over thirty years prior to training to become a psychotherapist. It has given me a wide and varied range of life experiences which I feel enhance my abilities to work in this field, including:
- a good sensitivity to boundaries
- a capacity to listen attentively over long periods of time
- understanding the importance of patience and unconditional positive regard
- the ability to listen empathically, without passing judgment
- creating and maintaining positive working relationships
"The demands of my occupation in the music industry affected my well being in many areas of my life, and I sought out therapy over fifteen years ago. The work I have done and continued to do with my therapist has shaped me, guided me, and facilitated my journey in such a positive way. It has led me to study psychotherapy, and working with others, both in the music and entertainment industries and from all walks of life."
Max Ryz is a HCPC registered Music Therapist and a member of the British Association of Music Therapy (BAMT). He has wide ranging experience providing assessment, individual and group music therapy for adults, children and adolescents spanning across NHS, Third Sector, private health care and school settings.
Max has worked with a number of musicians and performers, helping manage problems including Depression & Anxiety, Psychosomatic Disorders, Relational Difficulties, Early Trauma, Personality Disorder and Psychosis. As a musician himself he is a pianist, composer and accompanist.
Max completed a clinical music therapy masters at the Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Centre following a degree in composition at Trinity College of Music. He has also undertaken subsequent trainings at the Anna Freud Centre and the International Centre for Arts Psychotherapies, acquiring additional expertise in other psychotherapeutic approaches, including Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT) and Mentalisation- Based Therapy (MBT).
Max currently holds a position at the Central and North West London NHS Trust where he works with adults who have complex mental health conditions, such as depression, personality disorders and psychosis. In his private practice he is also seeing children and adolescents whose needs include developmental, communication and emotional difficulties as well as autism. Max adopts Music Therapy & Talking Therapies: Psychodynamic & Psychoanalytic Based Approaches, Mentalisation Based Therapy (MBT) and Dynamic Interpersoanl Therapy (DIT).
Alongside his therapeutic work Max gives clinical supervision within the NHS and is an accredited supervisor with BAMT. He regularly facilitates workshops and seminars for interdisciplinary teams in health care settings and psychotherapy training provides and he is published in the British Journal of Music Therapy.
Melanie Beer is an experienced Dramatherapist, working with adults, young people and children on a one-to-one basis. She is a founding member of a playback theatre company, The Golden Thread, and has been performing interactive improvisational theatre with the company for ten years. Melanie's therapeutic approach combines working with body, imagination and verbal reflection.
"I find that this combination is accessible to people with a wide range of needs and from varying backgrounds. I aim to offer a safe place for exploration, led by your individual needs and supported by the relationship that we build together".
Through drama and movement therapy, Melanie helps with a wide range of problems including complex health needs, relational difficulties, loss and bereavement, anxiety and depression, neurodiversity and trauma.
Melanie is also a clinical supervisor and educator and has developed and delivered a variety of creative training workshops for health practitioners, and mental health projects with a range of organisations.
Melanie Padron Golding is a counsellor, musician and recording artist who started work counselling children and young people. Melanie now works with a range of age groups, including young people under the age of sixteen and adult musicians, assisting them holistically in addressing mental health, resilience, identity, work-related stresses and public exposure. She has experience working with issues relating to gender transition, sexual orientation, eating disorders, substance and alcohol abuse, social disengagement, low self-esteem, confidence, family conflicts, loss, separation & divorce, suicidal tendencies, and self-harm, and offers support for mental health conditions such as depression, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), anxiety, and PTSD. Melanie has also supported neurodivergent clients such as people living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Michael Read is a qualified therapist with an integrated approach to counselling. Michael has worked in theatre and entertainment for over 20 years, and continues to work as an actor, director and designer occasionally. He has experience in working with actors, musical theatre performers and technicians, and has extensive knowledge of the performing industry in the UK and US (predominantly NYC). Michael has a professional passion for integrating therapeutic techniques into the arts, with particular specialisms in:
Anxiety
Depression
Anger
Addiction
Trauma
Men’s mental health
Interpersonal Issues
LGBTQIA+
Michele Karban is an Integrative Arts Psychotherapist (IATE) with a diploma in Integrative Child Psychotherapy (IATE), and is registered on both the adult and child registers on the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). Michele also holds the European Certificate of Psychotherapy EAP and remains a registered member of the Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education.
Michele helps artists and creators with issues including anxiety, depression, childhood trauma, relationship difficulties, bereavement and PTSD. She applies the Humanistic approach drawing on Gestalt, Transactional Analysis, use of arts, body work, imagination and creativity.
Michele has over thirty year’s experience in the caring profession and has been working as a psychotherapist for more than twenty years. While training as a psychotherapist Michele worked for CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health service). During this time she also worked part time as therapist for a young person’s sexual advice service in Tunbridge Wells.
Miranda Jackson is a highly experienced psychotherapist and counsellor with over 30 years experience in the music industry as an artist manager. With her insider knowledge of the music industry, she is an expert in musicians' and other arts professionals' mental health. Where appropriate, clients can access the Stimmung Therapy Programme, delivered together with Helen Brice, who is also a BAPAM Registered therapist. This combines one-to-one trauma therapy with skills in Mindfulness and emotional containment, helping to release difficult thoughts and fears in a safe, supportive space.
Miranda works with creative professionals presenting with, for example, drug addiction and substance misuse associated with gig culture, sexual identity, stage identity, eating disorders, struggles with casting, auditions and bookings, stage fright/performance anxiety, bereavement, physical injury and illness, career and life transitions. Stimmung Therapy is based in Piccadilly, London. Miranda also practises in Wiltshire and provides online therapy.
"As a psychotherapist I specialise in working with musicians, actors, writers and performers who are experiencing overwhelming emotions and need support while keeping the channel of self-expression and communication open. I have counselled people of many nationalities, backgrounds and beliefs and all genders and sexualities. All are welcome. With considerable management experience in both the commercial and charity sectors, I have the experience to deal with workplace issues such as redundancy, unfair dismissal, workplace bullying, career development and career change. I have supported a number of survivors of abuse, both male and female and will work with offenders who show genuine remorse. I have a lot of experience in helping clients manage pain and long-term illness, especially ME and now Long Covid."
Miranda is currently only offering online sessions.
Deborah Drinkwater is an accredited psychotherapist providing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Person-centered counselling and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing) with a certificate in Advanced Flash Technique. She supports creative professionals and students with problems relating to trauma, depression, anxiety traps, perfectionism, self harm, phobias, eating disorders and performance anxiety. Deborah works with many Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) students, as well as established musicians, actors and dancers.
Psychosynthesis Counsellor with a background as an actor and drama teacher as well as working with the Samaritans. Lois works with clients to address problems including performance/audition anxiety, family issues, drug and alcohol use, sexual abuse, suicidal thinking, bereavement, anxiety, loss, depression, relationship issues, loss of purpose, sexuality, childhood trauma. 'I believe my careers before becoming a psychotherapeutic counsellor give me added insight into the challenges faced by individuals in the performing arts industries. These can often feel overwhelming, leaving people questioning the purpose and meaning of their professional identity given the stresses of rejection and often financial instability'. Consultations at the Psychosynthesis Trust, London SE1, or online.
Motoko Hayata is a Music Therapist who has helped many artists and creative professionals with issues such as emotional and behavioural problems, global delay, mild/severe/profound and multiple disability, autism, dementia/Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral palsy, difficult life situations and transitions, relationship difficulties, stress, depression, anxiety, emotional exploration. She has practised as a Music Therapist since 1999, and qualified as a Music & Imagery Therapist in 2018. She is currently completing the training in Guided Imagery and Music (GIM Postgraduate Advanced Diploma) & Music Breathing (MB Postgraduate Advanced Certificate). She has supervised MA students for Music Therapy training, and her work has been presented at conferences in many countries. She has co-authored a chapter with John Strange in the book, Collaboration and Assistance in Music Therapy Practice: Roles, Relationships, Challenges (2017).
Psychodynamic psychotherapy and counselling. A former professional musician. Has helped actors, dancers and musicians with issues including anxiety, depression, self esteem, relationships and family problems, sexuality, bereavement.
Provides psychological support to performers across numerous domains including music, sport, drama, dance and business. Has worked with many professional and student musicians through the Incorporated Society of Musicians as well as Healthy Conservatoires. Expertise in psychology of optimal performance, overcoming performance anxiety, mental health and wellbeing.
Greg has worked on developing many top musicians psychological approach to performance and frequently runs workshops with the Incorporated Society of Musicians, across the UK for musicians seeking to enhance their own performance levels and cope with the high demands of a career in music. Greg, in collaboration with his wife (Dr Ally Daubney) also runs numerous workshops for music teachers to help them effectively handle their students' music performance anxiety.
In conjunction with his wife, Greg has published two books centred on effective psychological approaches to performance management. The first is a practical resource for music teachers to provide them with strategies to help their students handle music performance anxiety and is entitled Performance Anxiety: A Practical Guide for Music Teachers. The second is a hands on psychological approach to optimising music performance for developing and professional musicians.
Has worked with a variety of creative practitioners including film directors, painters, musicians and dancers, who have presented with depression, eating disorders, anger issues, relationship issues and performance anxiety. Also works with companies advising on employees' stress. Based in both Glasgow and London.
Professional experience singing and working in the arts for over 10 years. Clinical experience in the NHS and working with performing artists working with issues such as Anxiety, Depression, Panic attacks, Performance anxiety, Addiction, Fame and celebrity, Body image, Trauma, Relationships, Burnout, Self esteem, Creative blocks, Worthlessness, Isolation, Rejection, Anger, Loss and grief, Control issues, Abuse, Trust issues, Pregnancy, Family problems, Sexuality, Existential issues. Works from a therapeutic space in Muswell Hill, London N10, and offers telephone and Skype counselling.
Former professional opera singer providing individuals and couples therapy using integrative, person-centered, psychodynamic, CBT and mindfulness approaches. Helps creative practitioners overcome anxiety, PTSD, relationship issues, grief, bereavement, depression, self-esteem problems. Special interest in voice trauma. She is an Accredited Counsellor for The Foundation for Infant Loss.
Integrative Therapist using perspectives from Psychodynamic, Person Centered, Gestalt, Existential and CBT. Adapts aspects of each to suit individuals, sometimes working almost exclusively with one approach. Former professional classical/opera singer. Works with individuals and couples, helping with problems including those related to sexuality, childhood abuse and trauma, complex PTSD, disordered eating, addictive, dependent or compulsive behaviour (including clients working the Twelve-Step Programme), insomnia, work and performance-related anxiety, gender identity. Her practice covers Bath, Bristol and surrounding areas. She also works with Couples.
Monia Brizzi is a Chartered Counselling Psychologist with the British Psychological Society and a Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council. She consults in Canary Wharf and as an assessing clinician at BAPAM London.
She has worked with BAPAM for 13 years providing psychological assessment and treatment to professional performers and those in training, including orchestral soloists and players, conductors, composers, musicians, singers, dancers, actors, circus artists, stage managers and other performing arts practitioners.
Monia has a special interest in performance psychology and the psychological dimensions of physical and chronic conditions (somatic symptoms, illness, pain, fatigue, voice problems, tinnitus, musculoskeletal issues, hypo and hyper mobility, functional disabilities, injuries). She also consults on performance anxiety, panic attacks, low mood, perfectionism, impostor syndrome, self-esteem, shame, addictions, dissociation, complex trauma, and career transitions.
She has been interviewed by BAPAM: www.bapam.org.uk/arts-health-practitioners-in-focus-arts-specialist-psychologists-and-psychotherapists/, Classical Music magazine: Health and Wellbeing: Performance Anxiety and Healthy Conservatories Network.
Monia has worked on Wellcome Trust supported art-science projects at University College London Hospital. Facilitated art and psychology symposia with the Society for Existential Analysis and Professor of Art David Cotterrell for the national festival Creativity and Wellbeing Week. Convened Performing Arts Healthcare Conference with Professor of Music Daniel Leech-Wilkinson and BAPAM Senior Manager for Special Projects Dan Hayhurst at King’s College London: Phenomenology and the Arts and https://www.bapam.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/SEA-BAPAM-Hermeneutic-Circular-April-2020.pdf. Collaborates with musicians: Challengingperformance.com, dancers: Dance and Choreomania, and other artists and scientists: https://www.artichoke.uk.com/cosmoscope-research-colloquium/.
She has published and presented her research at national and international conferences for over 17 years, including the 2022 annual conference of the Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare - Enhancing Wellness and Resilience in Performing Arts - with a collaborative article with Dr Anthony Ordman on ‘Understanding subconscious influences in complex mind-body presentations as the key to alleviating career-threatening symptomatologies’.
Recent publications in performing arts medicine include The Psychologist (British Psychological Society), Existential Analysis (Society for Existential Analysis), and Therapy Today (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy).
‘I have worked alongside Monia Brizzi, the psychologist and psychotherapist, for quite some time now, having met her when we gave lectures and webinars together for The British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM). I am always deeply impressed by Monia’s depth of understanding of the human mind when health is a challenge. And in clinical practice, Monia Brizzi is one of the most talented and insightful psychologists with whom I have had the pleasure to work. I often refer patients to her whose complex physical pain presentations may be compounded by deep, often unconscious psychological responses to their pain. By gently and tactfully exploring these inner thoughts with kindness and patience, Monia can often bring considerable and lasting relief to patients, who feel deeply understood and helped in this way. Monia combines compassion and understanding with an expert theoretical basis for her work, and I can thoroughly recommend her as an expert and trusted colleague with whom it is often very illuminating to one’s own practice to discuss cases with her.’ Dr Anthony Ordman, Consultant in Pain Medicine
A dialogue between Professor Mine Doğantan-Dack and Monia Brizzi: Pedagogical and clinical perspectives on musicians’ health - Music and Mental Health Group, a study group of the Royal Music Association
https://musicmentalhealthgroup.wordpress.com/2023/03/30/a-dialogue-between-mine-and-monia/
https://musicmentalhealthgroup.wordpress.com/2023/03/30/preface-a-dialogue-between-mine-and-monia/
In December 2023, Monia and colleagues presented at the Music, body, and embodiment: new approaches in musicology conference:
Monia Brizzi (British Association for Performing Arts Medicine) – Prof. John Crawford (Trinity Laban Conservatoire) – Dr. Maiko Kawabata (Open University / Royal College of Music), Musical Expression from the Whole Self: The Need for Body-Mind Integration in Performing Arts Education and Medicine
This paper, an interdisciplinary collaboration between a psychologist, a music conservatoire pedagogue, and a musicologist, explores the ideal for musicians to develop mind, body and emotions holistically towards the goal of giving authentic self-expression to the performance of Western classical music. Yet all too often, mental, physical and emotional functions are disconnected or even conflicted — a situation we collectively recognise and seek to ameliorate in our students and clients, with each author drawing on individual expertise. Why does this happen and what would it take to achieve an integrated approach? Crawford’s pedagogical outlook, drawing on his own lived experience as a professional violinist, places a strong emphasis on mind-body integration approaches, especially the Alexander Technique. Along with the optimal functioning of the body and correct body conception, an indispensable element is the desire of the musician to actually express something, yet too often the weakness or even absence of this desire is overlooked or ignored. Kawabata identifies the need for a joint-up approach having noticed that music pedagogy and related disciplines are not in dialogue, e.g. there are clear overlaps between the ‘body map’ in Alexander Technique whereby anatomical understanding informs intelligent movements and ‘body schemata’ in phenomenology whereby the violin and bow become part of the violinist’s body. Such theoretical connections have implications on a practical level, as revealed during a conservatoire workshop co-run by Kawabata and Crawford. Brizzi observes the deep-rooted yet limiting assumption in the performing arts that reduces the body and the self to separate objects and identifies tools and technique as agents; she points out that disturbance is often an attempt to break out of this rigidity and the benefits of an integrated approach for the whole self. She highlights the implications for performers’ health and wellbeing from a clinical perspective.
Ruth Netherwood is an integrative counsellor with a particular interest in the impact of trauma on the body. She has worked with many performers during her career including musicians, theatre and circus performers, dancers and actors. Ruth can help with body awareness, stress, anxiety, OCD, bereavement, suicidal ideation, complex trauma, PTSD, childhood abuse, insecurity, low self-esteem, performance anxiety, relationship issues, and fear of failure. Practises in Hebden Bridge, Bradford and online nationally.
Sarah Payler is an experienced psychodynamic psychotherapist and counsellor working from her consulting room in Charlbury, near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire. She also offers sessions online and by telephone. Formerly a professional orchestral and chamber musician, Sarah understands the stresses and unique demands of the performing world and has worked with many actors, musicians, artists and creatives.
As a psychotherapist Sarah helps clients with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, emotional trauma, perfectionism, performance anxiety, psychosomatic problems, identity issues, boarding school syndrome bereavement, relationship and family problems.
She works psychodynamically and psychoanalytically, meaning that the root causes of problems are explored. Often the issues that people struggle with in the present relate to unresolved experiences or events in the past. Feelings and thoughts, which were felt to be unbearable or unacceptable at the time, are pushed down into our unconscious, but are inexplicably stirred up in the present causing conflict. This is often accompanied by emotional and psychological distress. We find ourselves repeating patterns of behaviour and relating without understanding why. Psychodynamic therapy can help clarify these deep emotions so that we can begin to live more freely and authentically, unburdened by the past.
Nick Gendler is a counsellor with considerable experience supporting musicians and actors, integrating a psychotherapeutic approach with coaching techniques for improved mental health and creative practice. He works with clients who experiencing problems including:
• Life issues: Career, Work and Redundancy, Identity, Relationships, Sexuality, Spirituality, Loss and Bereavement
• Anxiety and Stress: Fear or Phobia, Panic Attacks, Stress, Post-Traumatic Stress
• Feeling low: Feeling a lack of meaning, Anger, Low self-esteem, Unhappiness or Loneliness, Depression
“I’ve been working in a mostly coaching capacity for various charities (including PRS, Help Musicians UK, ICM, Royal Variety Charity) supporting musicians and actors for several years. My practice is integrated in that I work at the edge of coaching and counselling with many clients. Over the years I have developed a good understanding of the harsh reality of trying to survive as a working musician. I am aware of how the lifestyle of many musicians and professionals in the performing arts is often incompatible with healthy living and I believe that therapy is a powerful tool in helping people to find a way of living better.”
Nikki's work is founded on the assumption that human beings are imaginative, resourceful and unique. They provide both short and long-term therapy with adults and young people in Kingston Upon Thames and throughout the UK.
Nikki can help with issues relating to neurodiversity, LGBTQ clients, generalised anxiety, trauma including historic childhood sexual and emotional abuse, family estrangement, addiction and clients diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. They offer services in ACT, CBT, DBT, Trauma informed counselling (3 phase model), motivational interviewing and creative interventions.
The team at NLMT includes BAPAM-registered Music Therapists Marianne Rizkallah and Rivka Gottlieb. NLMT provide specialist services for musicians, creative artists and others, helping with a wide range of problems including anxiety, depression, stress, vocalists' issues, performance anxiety, interpersonal dynamics, family and health issues, eating disorders, PTSD, adults and adolescents. Group and individual therapy is available.
NLMT have also recently opened a South London clinic in Blackheath.
"We’re creative. We’ve seen countless times how the musical element of our psychotherapy can transform awareness and understanding of feelings. You don’t have to be able to play any of the instruments available in sessions (although if you can play that’s of course fine!) - just be prepared to experience that the music you make, alongside your words, will help you communicate your true feelings.
We believe the past informs the present. Research shows our worlds are shaped by our earliest experiences. How we relate to other people, how our reactions differ in one situation to another, all come from the first blueprints of the relationships we create from birth. Bringing your past experiences into your therapy we believe is the best way of illuminating what’s happening in your present - the two can’t work without each other.
We focus on your mental health. Whether you have a diagnosis, are living with a long-term illness or simply need help making sense of aspects of your life and life experiences, we find that actively working on your mental health is the best way to improve your quality of life. Our music therapists, who are trained to Masters level and registered with the Health and Care Professions Council, have experience working with people living with anxiety, trauma, autism, stroke, dementia, OCD and many other clinical backgrounds. What unites our approach is the belief that mental health-first work helps you understand your particular background best."
About Companies and Group Practices listed on the BAPAM Directory
Patricia Connolly is a psychotherapist working within a psychodynamic approach. She focuses on early life experience and relationships to help you understand how they shape who you are in the present. When you begin to more fully explore your emotions and attitudes you can find a deeper self–knowledge, which can also transform the way you relate to others.
Patricia has worked with clients in the creative industries to explore diverse issues including: social anxiety, sexuality, self-esteem, identity and relationships, shame, relationship difficulties, disordered eating, and problems in making emotional connections. She has a Masters degree in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and is an Accredited member of the BACP. She is also an experienced educator and trainer. Before becoming a therapist, Patricia was a film-maker and freelance journalist.
As someone who has spent a long time in the creative industries I feel I have some insight into the satisfactions and the precariousness of this kind of work. Engaging with the arts - in particular music, film and theatre - has always been hugely important to me as a means of understanding how human beings relate to the world and the sense we make of it. I think of psychotherapy as a creative act for both client and therapist and I would like to be able to help performers find ways to manage the pressures of their work while exploring their own psychological and emotional worlds.
Peter Dolan is a trained Counsellor and Psychotherapist who uses integrative modalities. He worked in the music industry for many years, both as a musician and in management and business roles, giving him a great deal of insight into the lifestyle and demands of a performing arts career. He has worked with numerous organisations and charities for over eight years including MIND, The Prince’s Trust, Back Up Trust, Wandsworth Bereavement Services, the NHS and has a private practice. In addition to that, he also offers mindfulness training where appropriate.
Over the past ten years, he has counselled patients from many different backgrounds and walks of life. He is fluent in French and has worked as a counsellor in France.
Peter Robinson is a counsellor with a PGDip in Integrative Counselling and Coaching. He draws on a range of therapeutic modalities, including integrative, person-centred, psychodynamic and existential therapies, along with CBT and acceptance and commitment therapy. Peter is experienced in working with singers, musicians, producers, songwriters and actors working across TV and stage.
Peter can help with issues relating to self-esteem, inner critic, status, identity, fame, performance anxiety, relationships with band members, colleagues and fans, burnout, social media, sexuality and gender, depression, grief and bereavement and existential issues.
Phil Jordan trained as a counsellor after having worked for fourteen years as a professional musician and session musician, giving him a personal insight into the issues affecting people in the music and entertainment industry. He can help with issues including anxiety, depression, self-esteem, bereavement, ego and identity, failure and rejection, debt and finances. He uses a person centered approach. Philip also has experience working for a debt charity and is a counselling tutor at Leeds City College.
Phil McQuillan was born and educated in Shipley and studied and worked for several years in London and Birmingham, before returning to West Yorkshire where he is now based.
Initially Phil trained as a professional actor and worked in the creative industries before studying Counselling and Psychotherapy. "I believe this has helped me bring empathy, creativity and an ‘outside the box’ quality of thinking to my work". He is currently completing a Masters Degree in Psychology.
Rachel Jepson is a specialist in mental health in the music industry and has developed CPD accredited training in mental health awareness in the industry and for music students. Works with creative practitioners with issues including performance anxiety, stress, depression, trauma, abuse, discrimination, addiction, bereavement, gender transition. Rachel uses a person centered approach for individuals and couples. She also provides critical incident debriefing. Rachel has been a singer, songwriter and performer for over 20 years and is also a qualified counsellor, supervisor and hypnotherapist working with organizations such as the NHS, BUPA and AnxietyUK. Rachel is an affiliate counsellor for Music Support, BAPAM and Health Assured. She founded Counselling for Musicians at the start of 2017, working with musicians and industry professionals and their mental health. Rachel has counselled students at BIMM and FutureWorks among others and delivers training on how tutors can help support students suffering with anxiety and depression. She hosted her own radio show on Reform Radio called 'Mind Over Music' talking to Musicians about mental health in the music industry. Rachel is frequently asked to speak at music conferences including We Are Robots, Help Musicians Focus conference and the AIM industry conference. She has written on the subject of mental health in the music industry for publications including Therapy Today, and her book 'Mental Health In The Music Industry: A Guide' is out now. Rachel has been nominated for a 'Women In Music Award' for her work with musicians and mental health.
Rivka Gottlieb trained at the Royal College of Music and The Juilliard School as a concert harpist, prior to qualifying as a Music Therapist. As a harpist, Rivka has had orchestral experience, worked as a studio recording artist for film and TV soundtracks, and performed with various bands. "I understand first hand the pressure that performers are under. In addition, as a harp teacher, I have found my therapeutic skills extremely valuable in helping to prepare students struggling with the mental challenge of exams and performance anxiety".
Rivka is experienced in working with musicians, actors, musical theatre performers and performing arts students. She can help with issues relating to anxiety, depression, performance anxiety, stress, interpersonal dynamics, trauma, PTSD, Autism, communication difficulties and eating disorders.
Ros Guthrie is a UKCP registered Integrative psychotherapist and Couples counsellor with over 10 years experience within the NHS, organisations, and in private practice. Ros is specialised in traumatic stress counselling and offers EMDR and Debriefing to individuals and organisations. She offers a fixed term or open ended therapy service. She has previous personal experience in the performing arts as a session singer. She is a member of the Black and Asian Therapist Network.
Ros can help with issues relating to stress reduction, anxiety and panic attacks, depression/ loneliness, bereavement /loss, relationship difficulties, effects of childhood abuse, post traumatic stress, workplace issues, fertility and IVF issues, racial and cultural identity issues, discrimination or racism, life stage issues, elderly care, and parenting.
Rosanna Normanton is an accredited integrative psychotherapist and intimacy coordinator, grounded in years of lived experience in the film and television industry. She is passionate about the continuing evolution of industry, contributing to cast & crew wellbeing and supporting the creative process through intimate story-telling.
Rosanna provides psychological assessments through a systemic lens, systemic psychotherapy, integrative psychotherapy (combining approaches: CBT, person-centred, psychodynamic, mindfulness) and trauma treatment: EMDR & CBT. She can help with issues relating to trauma, divorce & separation, anxiety, depression, stress, relationship issues, sexual and gender identity exploration, healing from abuse, family and attachment patterns.
Sacha Barlow is a BACP accredited counsellor, UKCP registered psychotherapist and a qualified supervisor for other counsellors. Sacha has experience as a performing classical violinist and violist. She has completed a number of therapy trainings from different approaches, and therefore works as an integrative transpersonal therapist. Sacha focuses on the dynamics of the therapeutic relationship, and aims to offer support and supply relevant and helpful information where desirable.
Sacha can help with issues related to generalised anxiety, fears, stage fright, panic attacks, fear of failure, fear of success, loss of self esteem, loss of sense of self, depression, bipolar disorder, overcoming abuse, creative blocks, self harm, relationship problems, couples counselling, wellness coaching, anger management, life transitions, parenting concerns, infertility, loss.
Sarah Hinds is a BACP accredited counsellor, a singer/songwriter and musician. She originally trained in person-centred counselling. She now works integratively and has a creative approach to her therapeutic work. She often works with clients outdoors at The Garden, a centre for counselling and personal development, offering specialised support for women, performers and musicians and those affected by concerns about the climate crisis.
Sarah has worked with musicians, singers, actors and dancers. She has worked with performing artists on: self-esteem, confidence, boundaries and dealing with rejection; creative process and blocks to self-expression; maintaining personal integrity/authenticity and finding/maintaining meaning and purpose; dealing with the effects of performing or being a high achiever at a young age; the impact of high pressure schooling/parenting and boarding school, dealing with the ‘highs and lows’ of being a performer and concerns about the environmental impact of the music industry. She also offers specific support around the menstrual cycle, menopause and women's life transitions and has counselled women who have experienced abuse, sexual violence or domestic abuse.
With an understanding of the impact of working in the arts and with creative people, Sarah is aware of the complex impacts of performing on many of her clients and of the struggle to find the right therapeutic support in the creative industry.
Sarah is also a Sesame (drama and movement in therapy) practitioner and can work therapeutically with movement, story and sound.
Sarah McCaffrey is an actress, a qualified psychotherapist and member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. She combined her experience of working in film and media and as a psychotherapist to found her practice, Solas Mind, which provides a range of dedicated mental health support to individuals and businesses in the creative industries.
Her personal experience as an actress and Equity member give her insight into the complex nature of arts careers and she sees many industry professionals, including actors and creative artists, production, studio and crew members.
She offers counselling to industry freelancers, and provides counselling services for ScreenSkills trainees, Warner Bros. Studios, film and HETV productions and creative companies.
Her work focuses on integrative talking therapy. She supports clients with issues including confidence problems, anxiety, depression, sexual violence including rape crisis counselling, abuse, and trauma.
Sarah Reilly is an integrative psychotherapist using approaches which include psychodynamic, relational, somatic awareness and movement, processing through metaphor, image and the imagination.
Sarah can work with clients on:
• Low self-esteem and low confidence, self-doubt
• Life needs to change but person is unsure what needs to change
• Understanding and processing difficult family histories
• Childhood and adult trauma, including violence and sexual abuse
• Bereavement and loss
• Anxiety and depression; self-harm, suicidal ideation, intrusive thoughts and obsessive ruminations
• LGBTQ+ issues – shame and self-acceptance
• Gender confusion and/or gender dysphoria
• Confusion around sexual identity and/or orientation
• Relationship difficulties (not couples)
• Shame, understanding and reducing its affects
• Autism, understanding how it is personally expressed, and what it means for the individual
Sarah has worked as a creative for most of her life, across the modalities of music, drama and performance, writing, and visual arts, both professionally and within community based groups.
"Research shows that there needs to be identification and connection between client and therapist, it makes sense that creative clients will benefit from working with creative therapists. As a psychotherapist I feel I often do my best work with creative people, as I am able to offer my full range of capacities, experience, and insight. I have personal experience of creative processes: I understand the excitement of discovery and self-expression, as well as the blocks and the fear. I understand the challenges of working alone and often without structure – the isolation and difficulty to self-motivate, as well as the financial insecurity that often accompanies being a creative. I enjoy the colour and individuality that creative people often bring to psychotherapy – the quirkiness and imagination. I appreciate difference and celebrate humanity in all our diversity".
I am an integrative relationship/psychosexual therapist specialising in relationship, sex and intimacy problems working with individuals and couples. I also work with couples where depression in one partner may be negatively impacting on their relationship. I have also worked for many years as an NHS clinical nurse specialist in sexual and reproductive health and managed and provided the NHS psychosexual service at St Ann's Hosptial in London unitl it closed in June 2017 due to government funding cuts.
Relationship and psychosexual therapy is a strictly a talking only therapy. I offer an initial ten minute introductory phone consultation, free of charge.
I see a very varied client group for both short and longer term therapy. I work with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, cultures, religious beliefs, and social backgrounds. I have also worked with people on the autistic spectrum and those with learning difficulties and a range of challenging physical disabilities and chronic health problems. The age range is equally varied as I have seen clients from aged sixteen to clients in their eighties.
The problems I address are often as a result of relationship issues, depression, disabilities, cultural and religious differences, long term chronic illness, surgery, lack of education about anatomy and physiology, fear and anxiety about lack of experience or unrealistic expectations, past history of trauma, infertility, infant loss or miscarriage, concerns about gender, and sexuality. People may be worried about their personal sexual practices, likes and dislikes or those of their partners. Problems can also be related to sexual compulsivity, bereavement and menopause. They can be related to pain during sex or erectile dysfunction. Don't hesitate to seek help, no matter what your concern may be, and if it is not in my scope of practice I will think with you about an appropriate source of help and support.
I worked as a professional actress prior to becoming a specialist nurse and psychosexual therapist and have helped a number of arts professionals.
Simon Chu has worked in the performing arts industry for twenty years and specialises in issues connected with the creative industries, helping people deal with the mental and emotional fallout of working in high pressure, competitive and creatively demanding industries like music, theatre, performance and media.
"My clinical experience includes working with people suffering from anxiety, depression, trauma, shame, low self-esteem, bereavement, identity issues, loneliness, anger management, OCD, addiction, family conflict, relationship issues, stage fright, self sabotage and career problems.
I am a registered member of BACP, The British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and abide by its ethical practices. My training includes EFT, Emotionally Focussed Therapy, Mindfulness, CBT and Gestalt, a holistic form of therapy with one simple aim. To raise your self awareness. Alongside talking therapy, I use a range of techniques to help you creatively explore the world as you experience it. These might include body process, role play, visualisation and internal dialogue.
My aim is to raise your awareness of what is happening for you at the present moment and also what processes from the past are holding you back from becoming the person you yearn to be. Once you are in touch with this hidden aspect of your potential, I will provide you with a safe space in which to challenge these unhelpful inclinations and experiment with new perspectives and behaviours to bring about a deep and lasting transformation."
Sophie Samuel is a UKCP and EAP accredited psychotherapist with a MSc in the person-centred approach from the Metanoia Institute (UK). She also has an MSc in Experimental Psychology from the University of Cambridge. Sophie furthered her expertise in trauma and the criminal justice system including conducting research into the impact of childhood maltreatment on brain development at University College London (UCL) and working for the charity Switchback.
Sophie works within the person-centred approach and has clients in the performing arts with a wide range of issues and from diverse backgrounds. She has extensive experience of working with issues such as depression, anxiety, bereavement, anger, stress, trauma and abuse, domestic violence, sexual issues, eating disorders and relationship issues. Her previous counselling experience includes working as a therapist in the NHS, a school, in an eating disorder clinic and for the charity Woman’s Trust.
Stacey Permaul is a BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) registered counsellor and therapist based in East Dulwich, South East London. She was a professional Actor for ten years, then worked in Arts Administration and Production before training as a therapist. She brings sophisticated practical knowledge of the acting industry to the consulting room.
Stacey helps clients with problems including performance anxiety, low self-esteem, imposter syndrome, addiction, trauma, bereavement and complex grief, infant loss, maternal mental health problems such as Post/Pre natal depression and anxiety, birth trauma.
“I am passionate about the arts industry and the people who work to keep that industry going. I feel strongly that there needs to be more mental health support for creative professionals by therapists who can empathise and understand the uniqueness of working within the arts and all the challenges that can bring to both work and personal life choices. I work with clients from all different paths. I am mixed heritage (white and Amerindian). My counselling training was built on a foundation of acceptance and acknowledgement of difference and diversity. One client’s experience of anxiety may be completely different to another’s. Subsequently, although I work with certain issues and challenges commonly shared with my clients, I approach each therapeutic relationship with an understanding and respect of its uniqueness and individuality."
As a certified online counsellor, registered with ACTO (Association for Counselling and Therapy Online), Stacey is trained to provide online counselling and psychotherapy via video-call or telephone. She also offers face-to-face counselling and psychotherapy in her practice.
In addition to that, she works alongside Anxiety UK as one of their Approved Therapists providing therapeutic support to the charity’s members and partner beneficiaries.
Stephen King is a BACP registered integrative counsellor working with professionals in the performing arts. Stephen has a background in singing and voice, and works with issues relating to performance anxiety, relationships and communication, and neurodiversity including ADHD in performers of all kinds. Stephen has a particular interest and experience in working with clients experiencing voice problems.
Stephen Smith is a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist (CBT Therapist) accredited with BABCP, with additional specialisms in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) as well as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy. Stephen worked in the West End for one year, having contracts with theatres as Criterion Theatre, Piccadilly Theatre and The National Theatre and thus brings personal experience of common struggles within the acting community to the consulting room. He has worked with a number of performers including actors and musicians.
Stephen is highly experienced helping clients with problems including anxiety, depression, stress, trauma including complex PTSD, panic attacks, eating disorders, alcohol or drug abuse or any other emotional problem. He has experience of working with PTSD in the area of adverse childhood experiences. He is experienced helping people with complex mental ill health including personality disorders and psychotic disorders.
MA in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, London 2019
Mentalization-Based Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder, The Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families, London 2018
The Foundation & Post-Foundation Course, Institute of Psychoanalysis, London 2018
MA in Music Therapy, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London
2016
Sujaree Kuenghakit is a BPC and HCPC registered music therapist and psychotherapist offering private therapy sessions in London, Marlow and online. Sujaree has also been a violinist with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra and has worked as a Senior Psychological Therapist & Counsellor at the Royal Academy of Music. Her experience includes work in the NHS mental health services, education and psychological research. Sujaree implements contemporary and psychodynamic psychotherapy methods where she tailors her approach to the client's specific needs. Therapy sessions are designed to strengthen confidence and assist in the healing process. Sujaree offers sessions in both English and Thai.
Sujaree's main areas of expertise include anxiety & depression, eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, body image disturbance (body dysmorphic disorder), addiction, relationship difficulties, bereavement & terminal illness, culture shock & homesickness, education & career counselling.
In addition to her psychotherapy work, Sujaree is also a certified yoga instructor. "Meditation is part of my daily practice and I believe in its transformative power. I aim to help you find your own unique meditation techniques that work for you".
Sundraj Sreenivasan trained as a counsellor after 21 years in the music industry. He works with clients experiencing problems relating to depression, panic attacks, anger, identity, relationships, sexuality, shame, loss, suicidal thoughts and self-harm. Music and entertainment industry specific challenges supported include: burnout, sudden fame, performance anxiety, stress, rejection, online abuse, career or financial uncertainty and body image.
"I worked closely with musicians and professionals; first at a major label and then running my own agency. I witnessed how, for many, the fear of seeking professional help meant problems were bottled up leading to poor mental health. I was one of them, until I got help. My own growth and development inspired me to retrain, so I could be someone you could trust and open up to, as a qualified professional.
My clinical work as a counsellor has been in a diverse range of settings; from the NHS’s IAPT service to a University and, a LGBTQ+ charity. My own background and specialist training has enabled me to be culturally informed and I take an affirmative approach to diversity in my practice."
Suzanna Storey is a qualified therapist and counsellor specialising in mental health for creatives. Suzanna has a wealth of experience working across various creative sectors including Film and TV, Music, Music Education and the wider Entertainment Industry. More specifically she works in a wellness /counselling/ coaching support role, working with predominately musicians and actors.
Suzanna uses an integrative approach to therapy which is person centred, including but not limited to psychodynamics, psychoanalysis, ACT, CBT, DBT, PCT, EFT, humanistic therapy NLP, transactional analysis.
Suzanna can help with issues relating to abortion, abuse, addiction, ADHD, ageing and related issues, anger management, anxiety, assertiveness/self-confidence/self-esteem, bereavement/loss, bullying, childbirth, chronic fatigue syndrome/M.E., conflict resolution, cultural issues, depression, disability, divorce and separation, eating disorders/body dysmorphia/emotional dysregulation/emotional issues, exams, family, financial difficulties, gender identity, grief, generally unhappy with your life, IBS/Digestive issues, illness and dying, immune system support, imposter syndrome, job interviews, low self esteem, low self worth, mindfulness, neurodivergence/neurodevelopmental struggles, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic attacks, parenting skills, performance anxiety, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder/PTSD, pregnancy related issues, public speaking:stage fright, racial trauma, racism, rejection, relationships, relaxation, self-defeating behaviours, self harm, self image, sexuality identity, shyness/social phobia, sleep, spirituality, sporting performance, start exercising, smoking, stress, suicidal feelings, tinnitus, trauma, violence/victim support.
After loading trucks and touring the globe for over 15 years, Tiffany Hudson took a break from tour life to train as a psychotherapist. She is an integrative therapist who uses psychodynamic, existential and person-centred approaches. She also works as a mediator and coach. She has a long history in the touring music industry and personal experiences of the challenges of the work and culture. Her special interests include addictions, relationships, anxiety, self-worth, bereavement and loss, trauma, depression and managing emotions.
Tim Potter is experienced in psychotherapy and counselling having been in practice for over 21 years. Tim works with a range of clients in the arts who perform at all levels, including instrumental musicians, dancers, vocalists, actors and technicians.
He offers both short-term CBT for common obstacles to wellness and long-term psychotherapy for more complex issues. He works with people of all ages from children over 12, right through to old age.
Tim has significant experience in the private sector working with postnatal depression, most areas of addiction including codependency and love addiction. He also works specifically with anxiety and excessive worry, confidence, self-worth and self esteem
Tim is influenced by humanistic approaches to counselling and further informed by psychodynamic theory. Tim practices Self-Reparenting/Ego-state techniques alongside CBT for help with anxiety related issues such as health anxiety or OCD. Tim is also a diplomate clinician of Viktor Frankls Logotherapy.
Mrs Yolande Brown is a Psychotherapist and Clinical Supervisor with over 20 years experience. Yolande is also a vocalist and live music performer. She can help with issues relating to stress, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, relationships, confidence, self esteem and relationships. Together we can work on whatever is causing you distress.
Zababa is a specialist service led by Clinical Psychologists Dr Anna Colton and Dr Katie Russell who have 50 years combined experience in clinical practice, in both the NHS and independent work. Zababa offers individual, bespoke psychology sessions with clients across the life span, as well as sessions to parents, families, groups and couples. They can work online and in person, and as a team of experienced psychologists have expertise in most areas. The team have supported artists and creatives of all ages with stage fright and all things performance, emotional and behavioural difficulties, mental health & wellbeing. Katie and Anna have significant eating disorder expertise and offer specialist eating disorder treatment and second opinion consultations. A number of different psychological models including CBT for adults and children and young people, systemic therapy and hypnotherapy are employed by the team, who work collaboratively with clients and other multi-disciplinary professionals, drawing on thorough clinical experience as well as theoretical models to inform and underpin treatment.
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