Blackburn Clinical Services offers one-on-one therapy and psychiatric care for people who work in film, television, music, streaming and live performance in Los Angeles. We help with performance anxiety, the stress of irregular work, burnout after long productions, depression and substance use, with care planned around call times, travel and the gaps between jobs. Call (888) 870 7405 or email info@blackburnclinical.com.
At a glance
- Who we see: actors, writers, directors, musicians, crew, editors, producers, assistants and others who work in the entertainment industry, adults and adolescents.
- What we help with: anxiety and performance anxiety, depression, burnout, sleep and stress, alcohol and other substance use, and ADHD.
- 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.
- Fees: We are an out-of-network practice and provide superbills. See Fees and Insurance.
- First step: call (888) 870 7405 to schedule an assessment.
Why entertainment work is hard on mental health
The structure of the work itself creates pressure. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that acting assignments are usually short, from one day to a few months, that schedules can include early mornings, evenings, weekends and holidays, that many actors hold another job to make a living, and that actors are frequently under the stress of having to find their next job. Many crew members, writers and musicians also work project to project, with intense stretches of work followed by long stretches of waiting.
That rhythm can make ordinary problems harder to see. A drink to come down after a 14 hour day, a sleep schedule that never resets after nights, or months of worry between bookings can turn into anxiety, depression or a substance use problem without anyone noticing, including the person living it.
What we help with
- Performance and audition anxiety. Racing heart, dread before auditions, pitches, table reads or stage time, and the avoidance that follows. Anxiety disorders are common and treatable with therapy, medication or both (NIMH).
- Irregular work and financial uncertainty. The stress of not knowing when the next job comes, and what it does to mood, relationships and self-worth.
- Burnout and the post-wrap crash. Exhaustion, numbness and low mood after a long production, a tour or a season ends.
- Substance use. Alcohol, stimulants, cannabis or other drugs used to cope with long hours, social pressure or nerves. We treat substance use and mental health together; see addiction psychiatry and dual diagnosis treatment.
- Criticism, rejection and public attention. Reviews, notes, online comments and repeated rejection, and how to keep them from defining you.
- Depression and mood changes. Low motivation, hopelessness or mood swings that do not lift between projects.
How care at Blackburn works for people in the industry
- One-on-one, never group-based. Individual therapy is one-on-one with your therapist. Approaches include CBT, DBT, ACT, EMDR and trauma-informed care, chosen for you. Learn more about therapy at Blackburn.
- More support without a traditional program. If weekly sessions are not enough, the Concierge Outpatient Program offers 3 to 5 hours a week of one-on-one care with no groups and no hour requirements, scheduled around work.
- Medication when it makes sense. Our psychiatric team can evaluate whether medication would help and manage it over time. See psychiatric medication management.
- Privacy. Anything we share with anyone outside your care team happens only with your written permission. That includes managers, agents, producers and employers.
- Care that continues around production. When a job takes you out of town or onto nights, talk with your therapist about how sessions will continue.
Writers, visual artists, musicians and other creatives outside film and television can also see therapy for writers, artists and creatives.
For families and representatives
Partners, parents, business managers, talent managers and agents often notice a problem first. If you work with someone in the industry and want to know how to suggest care, see our page for entertainment business managers, talent managers and agents. Families can also get support of their own through family services. For a young person starting out in the industry who needs structure and follow-through support, Blackburn Mentoring, a sister organization, offers mentoring for young adults starting in entertainment.
Crew members can also see therapy for film, TV and live event crew, and parents of child and teen performers can see therapy for parents of young performers.
Musicians, singers and touring performers can see therapy for musicians and touring performers, which covers stage fright, tour cycles and the music business.
Questions
Do you work with actors and other entertainment industry professionals?
Yes. We see actors, writers, musicians, crew and other people who work in entertainment for anxiety, depression, burnout, substance use and other concerns, with one-on-one therapy and psychiatric care.
Can therapy help with performance or audition anxiety?
Yes. Performance anxiety is a common reason people start therapy. Approaches such as CBT and ACT help people manage the physical symptoms and the avoidance, and our psychiatric team can evaluate whether medication would help.
Will my manager, agent or employer know I am in treatment?
Not from us. Anything we share with anyone outside your care team happens only with your written permission.
What if my schedule changes week to week?
Tell us at the start. We work around call times, shoots and travel within our weekday hours, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, and the Concierge Outpatient Program is scheduled around work, school and family.
Do you take insurance?
We are an out-of-network practice and provide superbills you can submit for out-of-network reimbursement. Our Fees and Insurance page explains how it works.
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.