Therapy for Musicians in Los Angeles

Blackburn Clinical Services offers one-on-one therapy in West Los Angeles for musicians, singers, songwriters, producers, DJs and touring performers. Music work runs on late nights, travel, uneven pay and a stage where performance anxiety is hard to hide, with alcohol and drugs often easy to find. Therapy can help with stage fright, burnout after a tour, low mood between projects and drinking or use that has crept up. Call (888) 870 7405 or email info@blackburnclinical.com.

At a glance

Who we see: working and aspiring musicians, session players, singers, songwriters, producers and engineers, DJs, and performers who tour.
What we help with: performance anxiety, depression, tour burnout, sleep problems, identity and career setbacks, relationship strain and substance use alongside mental health.
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.

What music work does to mental health

In a 2016 survey of 2,211 professional musicians and music industry workers, 71.1 percent said they had experienced panic attacks or high anxiety and 68.5 percent said they had experienced depression. Respondents pointed to the conditions of the work: unstable income, not being able to plan ahead, irregular and antisocial hours, exhaustion, and tying their identity to career success. The survey was self-selected and self-reported, so it does not measure how common these problems are in all musicians, but it shows what many working musicians describe (Gross and Musgrave, 2016).

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 48 percent of musicians and singers are self-employed, that part-time and sporadic work is common, that rehearsals and performances happen day or night, weekdays or weekends, and that performers travel often (BLS). There is a physical side too: the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders describes a large study in which professional musicians had nearly four times the risk of hearing loss of the general public and were 57 percent more likely to develop tinnitus (NIDCD). Ringing ears and hearing worries can feed anxiety and poor sleep.

What musicians often bring to therapy

Stage fright and performance anxiety. A racing heart before a set, freezing in a session, avoiding auditions or showcases. Therapy can teach skills for the body and for the thoughts that drive the fear.
Tour cycles. Weeks of adrenaline, little sleep and constant company, then coming home to quiet and a crash. Planning for the return is part of the work.
Drinking and drug use around shows. Free drinks, green rooms and after parties make use easy and normal. If it has become a problem, we treat it together with anxiety or depression; see also alcohol use disorder treatment.
Money and the day job. Gig income that swings month to month and the stress of keeping a second job. Writers and other creatives with the same pressure can see therapy for writers, artists and creatives.
Identity and setbacks. A dropped deal, a band breaking up, a release that went nowhere or an injury that stops you playing can feel like losing yourself.
Relationships at a distance. Partners and families who carry the home front while you are on the road.

How care fits a music schedule

Care starts with an assessment, then one-on-one sessions with a licensed therapist in our office or by secure video for clients located in California. Tell us about rehearsal, session and tour dates when you call so we can plan around them within our weekday hours (Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM), including what happens while you are away and when you come home. If anxiety, depression, sleep or attention problems need medication, our psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners can evaluate you. Share your schedule and any alcohol or drug use honestly with your prescriber. People in film, TV and other entertainment work can also see therapy for entertainment industry professionals.

Your manager, label, band members and family hear nothing from us unless you give written permission. Managers and business managers who want to suggest care to a client can read our page for entertainment business managers.

For help with the practice and business routines that keep a music career moving, Blackburn Mentoring, a sister organization, writes about accountability for musicians.

Questions

Can therapy help with stage fright?

Yes. Therapy can help you understand what drives the fear and learn skills to manage the physical symptoms and the thoughts around performing. If medication might help, our psychiatric team can evaluate you.

I tour for weeks at a time. Can I still do therapy?

Yes. Tell us your dates when you call. We plan care around rehearsals, sessions and tours, including how to handle the time you are away and the return home.

Will my manager or label know I am in therapy?

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

Do you help with drinking or drug use?

Yes. Many musicians work in places where alcohol and drugs are everywhere. We treat substance use and mental health together, without judgment.

Do you take insurance?

We are an out-of-network practice. We do not take or bill insurance, and we provide superbills you can submit for out-of-network reimbursement. See Fees and Insurance.

Get started

Call (888) 870 7405, 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 Musicians and Touring Performers in Los Angeles