Therapy for Actors

Specialist support for performers navigating the unique challenges of the acting profession

A space to step out of the role and focus on yourself

As an actor, you’re expected to be emotionally available, resilient, and adaptable. But behind the craft, you may face significant pressures - uncertainty about work, exposure to rejection, and the ongoing demand to perform at a high level.

You may find yourself:

• Questioning your confidence and abilities

• Feeling lost between roles, unsure of your identity outside of acting

• Struggling with anxiety before auditions or performances

• Experiencing burnout from the demands of the industry

These experiences are common in the profession, but they can feel isolating. Therapy offers a space to explore these challenges with someone who understands the intensity of the acting world.

Therapy that understands the pressures behind the performance

Before becoming a psychotherapist, I worked closely with actors and creatives for many years as a professional headshot photographer. During that time, I had countless honest conversations with actors as they shared their realities of the industry - the emotional highs and lows, the uncertainty of auditions, and the pressure to consistently perform at a high level in an unpredictable profession.

That experience informs how I work with actors today. I understand the intensity of the profession and the personal toll it can take, both emotionally and psychologically. My role is to provide a grounded, reflective space where you can step back from external expectations and focus on your own wellbeing, growth, and resilience.

Whether you’re managing performance anxiety, navigating career uncertainty, or preparing for emotionally demanding roles, therapy offers support tailored to the specific challenges of life as an actor.

What to expect from Therapy

My approach is grounded, collaborative, and tailored to each client. I integrate Transactional Analysis (TA) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) - two evidence-based approaches that offer both practical strategies and deeper psychological insight.

TA helps us explore the patterns and beliefs that shape your relationships, confidence, and sense of self. CBT provides tools to manage unhelpful thoughts, performance anxiety, and the inner critic that many actors experience.

In our sessions, we’ll focus on creating a space where you can step back from external pressures, explore what’s really going on for you, and develop strategies to feel more grounded and resilient, both in your work and outside of it.

Common areas I help actors with

Actors often come to therapy to explore a range of challenges, including:

• Performance anxiety and managing nerves

• Imposter syndrome and self-doubt

• Rejection and building resilience

• Identity and self-esteem beyond acting

• Preparing for and recovering from emotionally intense roles

• Burnout and creative fatigue

• Navigating career transitions and uncertainty

• Developing confidence and healthy boundaries

You don’t have to wait until you’re struggling

I work with actors at all stages of their careers - from students and recent graduates, to established professionals working across theatre, film, and television.

Many of the actors I work with come to therapy not because they’re in crisis, but because they want to stay grounded and resilient in a tough, unpredictable industry. Therapy can be the one place where you don’t have to perform, it can be a space where you can be honest about what’s going on, and start building a more stable, confident foundation for yourself, both in your career and in your life outside of it.

Some clients come to therapy in response to specific challenges, such as performance anxiety, burnout, or preparing for emotionally demanding roles, while others use it as an ongoing space for reflection, personal growth, and support alongside their creative work.

Resources for Actors

I’ve worked with many actors through the highs and lows of performance.

These articles are about the themes that come up most often in therapy:

• Rejection and Resilience: How Actors Can Handle the ‘No’ and Stay Confident

• Managing Performance Anxiety On and Off Stage

• Finding your Identity Beyond the Role

• Overcoming Imposter Syndrome in the Acting Industry