Therapy for Creative Performers in Baltimore, Maryland
Support for artists, actors, and musicians navigating performance anxiety, creative blocks, and burnout
As a creative performer, I understand how deeply personal your work is. Whether you’re stepping into the spotlight or shaping your craft behind the scenes, your art carries your inner world—holding emotions, stories, and complexities that words alone can’t always capture. In my Baltimore-based practice, I offer compassionate, queer-affirming therapy designed to support artists, actors, and musicians as they navigate the unique pressures of performance, identity, and creative overwhelm. Together, we’ll create a safe space where your expression and well-being can thrive side by side!
Common Challenges for Creative Performers
Creative work is deeply rewarding but also quite demanding. It’s normal to feel nervous or worried before a show or when working on your art. Sometimes, that worry turns into performance anxiety, where your mind gets stuck on what could go wrong. You might also struggle with creative blocks, where ideas just won’t come, or feel burnt out from trying to do too much all at once. On top of that, if you’re queer or exploring your identity, that can add another layer of feeling different or misunderstood.
In therapy, we won’t just talk about these challenges: we’ll work together to find practical tools and strategies that actually help. Whether it’s learning ways to manage performance anxiety, breaking through creative blocks, or building healthy habits to prevent burnout, therapy will be a space for real growth and healing. You’ll get support to reconnect with your creativity and your true self (so you can feel more confident, balanced, and inspired both on and off the stage).
Therapy Approaches for Creative Performers
In our work together, I draw from several evidence-based therapies: each chosen to honor your creative mind and sensitive heart. These approaches offer hands-on, experiential ways to explore emotions, reframe your story, and build psychological flexibility so you can move through anxiety, blocks, and burnout with more ease.
Narrative Therapy
In session: Through focused conversation and reflective exercises, we’ll examine the stories you tell yourself about your art, your abilities, and your identity. You may be invited to “re-author” a critical inner narrative: rewriting a self-doubt monologue into a more compassionate and empowering script.
How it helps: Narrative therapy helps you separate your sense of self from unhelpful internal stories (like “I’m not good enough” or “I’ll never get this part”). By recognizing these narratives as just one perspective, you gain freedom to choose new, more supportive storylines that fuel your creativity rather than block it.
Art Therapy
In session: We’ll use painting, drawing, collage, or other visual media to externalize feelings and themes that might be hard to name with words. You might create a series of quick sketches to map out performance-related thoughts, or use color and texture to explore identity and energy levels.
How it helps: Art-making activates different parts of the brain, making it easier to access and process emotions beneath the surface. It also offers a concrete “artifact” you can reflect on—helping you notice patterns, release stuck tension, and spark new insights into your creative and emotional life.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
In session: We’ll practice mindfulness exercises—such as brief grounding anchors or creative visualization—to help you notice anxious or perfectionistic thoughts without getting swept away by them. You’ll also clarify your core values (e.g., artistic expression, authenticity, community) and commit to small, values-driven actions, even when fear or self-criticism arises.
How it helps: ACT teaches you to embrace uncomfortable thoughts and feelings as part of the creative process, rather than trying to eliminate them. By shifting focus toward what truly matters, you build psychological flexibility: the ability to stay present, take courageous creative steps, and maintain balance across the highs and lows of your artistic journey.
