Therapy for
Artists & Creatives
Who said artists and creatives are supposed to suffer for the sake of their craft?
One of the best things about working with clients online is the opportunity to connect with wonderfully creative individuals across the country. A large percentage of my practice involves working with a diverse group of clients who have devoted their lives and energies to creative works.
Author Stephen K. Levine, Ph.D. writes, “The task of counseling is not to eliminate suffering but to give a voice to it, to find a form in which it can be expressed. Expression is itself transformation; this is the message that art brings. The counselor then would be an artist of the soul, working with sufferers to enable them to find the proper container for their pain, the form in which it would be embodied.”
I have a passion for counseling with creative people
This includes entrepreneurs, writers, visual artists, musicians, actors, dancers and designers.
Maintaining a life that supports and nourishes one’s creativity can be challenging in the best of times. Whether you are struggling to hold on to your creative interests amongst life’s demands, uncertain how to take the next step in following your passions or interested in exploring new ways of connecting with lost parts of yourself, therapy for artists and creatives can help.
What Brings Creative People to Therapy
Creative people often experience the world more intensely — and that intensity can be both a gift and a burden. Some of the most common reasons artists and creatives seek therapy include perfectionism and self-doubt that block creative output, anxiety about visibility or public criticism, difficulty balancing creative work with relationships and practical demands, burnout from the business side of creative life, and grief over lost or unrealized creative aspirations. Financial stress and irregular income are also real pressures that affect mood, focus, and the ability to create.
How Therapy for Artists and Creatives Works
Therapy for creative people benefits from a therapist who understands the creative process and doesn’t treat it as secondary to more “practical” concerns. I work collaboratively, and I take your creative life seriously as a core part of who you are.
Sessions might explore the relationship between your inner emotional life and your creative work, the fears that get in the way of creating or sharing your work, or simply the stress and uncertainty that comes with building a creative life. I don’t believe you need to suffer to create great work — and I don’t believe therapy needs to be a painful process either.
I work 100% online with clients via secure video or voice, which means you can access support from wherever you are — wherever you are in the world.
FAQs
What is Therapy for Artists & Creatives?
Therapy for artists and creatives is traditional talk therapy combined with an understanding of the creative process and appreciation for the unique challenges that often come with moving through the world as a creative person.
When is Counseling for Artists & Creatives needed?
Artists and creatives engage in counseling for all the common reasons people seek out counseling as well as for issues related to feeling stuck in the creative process, stress related to vulnerability in the public eye, struggles with perfectionism and feelings of inadequacy and self doubts.
How much does Therapy for Artists & Creatives cost?
My current rate per one hour appointment is $175.
As an artist, how do I know if therapy is right for me?
I don’t believe that you have to suffer to create great work. If you are struggling in any aspect of life, working with a counselor may help.