Therapy for Parents of Young Performers

Blackburn Clinical Services offers one-on-one therapy in West Los Angeles for parents and guardians of child and teen performers, and therapy for adolescents themselves. Raising a working child means auditions, call sheets, permits, school on set, a Coogan account, rejection, sometimes sudden attention, and decisions most parents never face. Parents often carry that stress quietly, along with worry about their child, their other children and their marriage. Call (888) 870 7405 or email info@blackburnclinical.com.

At a glance

Who we see: parents, guardians and stepparents of performers, and adolescent services for teens, including young performers.
What we help with: parenting stress, anxiety, depression, couple strain, sibling and family balance, and knowing when a child needs more help.
What we do not do: we do not give legal, contract or career advice. Questions about permits, contracts and accounts belong with the Labor Commissioner, your attorney or your child’s representatives.
Where: Therapy takes place in our office at 12326 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066, in Mar Vista near Culver City, Venice and Santa Monica, or by secure video for clients located in California.
Psychiatry: Psychiatric evaluation and medication management are provided by our board certified psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. When you call, we explain how psychiatry appointments are arranged.
Privacy: one-on-one care. Anything we share with anyone outside your care team happens only with your written permission.
Fees: We are an out-of-network practice and provide superbills. See Fees and Insurance.
First step: call (888) 870 7405 or email info@blackburnclinical.com to schedule an assessment.

The rules your family lives inside

California regulates child performers closely, and the rules shape family life. An employer must hold a Labor Commissioner permit to employ a performer under 18 (California Labor Commissioner). State regulations limit how long a minor may be at the workplace and how long they may work, by age; for example, a child aged 9 to under 16 may be at the workplace up to 9 hours and work up to 5 hours on a school day, with at least 3 hours of school, and at least 12 hours must pass between dismissal and the next call (Title 8, Section 11760). Under California’s Coogan law, the employer generally sets aside 15 percent of a minor’s gross earnings in a trust account for the child, with exceptions such as background work (Family Code Section 6752). These rules are context only; your attorney and the Labor Commissioner are the authorities on how they apply to your child.

Each rule protects a child, and each also adds work for a parent: tracking hours, coordinating school on set, driving across the county for a callback, and keeping up with permits and accounts. Blackburn Mentoring, a sister organization, has a practical guide to school on set in California for families.

What parents of performers often bring to therapy

Your own stress and anxiety. Constant scheduling, waiting for news after auditions, and feeling responsible for every outcome.
Separating your hopes from your child’s. Checking honestly whether your child still wants this, and what it would mean if they stopped.
Handling rejection and attention. Helping a child through a lost role or online comments without passing on your own disappointment or worry.
The rest of the family. Siblings who feel overlooked, a parent away on location with the working child, and a couple that rarely has time alone. See family services and relationship counseling.
Money and roles. The discomfort of a child earning more than a parent, or a family budget that depends on a child’s career.
When a career ends or pauses. A child who ages out of roles or decides to stop, and a parent who has to rebuild their own days.

Signs your child may need more support

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists signs of anxiety and depression in children, including intense fear or worry, sudden panic, irritability or anger, trouble sleeping, persistent sadness or hopelessness, loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy, major changes in eating or sleep, trouble paying attention, feeling worthless or guilty, and self-injury. It also notes that some children with depression do not look sad and instead act out or seem unmotivated (CDC). For a performer, that might look like dread before every audition, panic on set, refusing to go to school after a role ends, or preoccupation with appearance or online reaction. The CDC’s advice is to start by talking with a health care provider, such as your child’s primary care provider or a mental health specialist.

Teens can be seen through our adolescent services, and young adults who performed as children are welcome to call for an assessment of their own.

How therapy works here

Therapy sessions are one-on-one in our office in Mar Vista or by secure video for clients located in California, with flexible scheduling around auditions, shoots and school within our weekday hours. Your therapist focuses on you: your stress, your relationship with your child and partner, and the decisions in front of you. If anxiety, depression or sleep problems need medication, our psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners can evaluate you. Nothing is shared with a production, school or representative unless you give written permission. Representatives can see our page for entertainment business managers, talent managers and agents.

Questions

Can you see my child, or only me?

Both are possible. We see adolescents through our adolescent services, and parents individually. Call and we will talk about what fits your child’s age and needs.

Will a production, agent or manager know my family is in therapy?

Not from us. Anything we share with anyone outside your care team happens only with your written permission.

How do I know if my child is just nervous or something more?

Nerves before an audition are normal. Worry is worth a professional look when it lasts for weeks, affects sleep, eating, school or friendships, or your child starts avoiding things they used to enjoy. The CDC lists signs of anxiety and depression in children to watch for.

Can you advise us on contracts, permits or the Coogan account?

No. Those are legal and financial questions for the California Labor Commissioner, your attorney and your child’s representatives. Therapy helps with the stress and family decisions around them.

Do you take insurance?

We are an out-of-network practice and provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement. See Fees and Insurance.

Get started

Call (888) 870 7405 (Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM), email info@blackburnclinical.com or contact us. Blackburn Clinical Services is at 12326 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

If you or someone you love is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 in an emergency.

Therapy for Parents of Child and Teen Performers in Los Angeles