Therapy for Musicians, Songwriters & Composers

For musicians, songwriters and composers, the line between creative life and emotional life can be remarkably thin. Anxiety, depression, creative blocks, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, relationship difficulties, burnout and the pressures of building a career can all find their way into the studio, writing room or rehearsal space.

At ArtistServices Therapy, we understand that making music isn't simply a job. Your work can be deeply connected to identity, self-worth, relationships and how you make sense of the world. When something isn't working emotionally, it can affect your creativity—and when something isn't working creatively or professionally, it can affect your mental health.

Therapy That Understands the Music Industry

You shouldn't have to spend half of a therapy session explaining what a publishing deal is, why a hold matters, what happens in a writing camp, or why getting dropped by a label or publisher can feel like considerably more than a business setback.

David Andreone brings decades of music-industry experience to his work as a therapist, including senior-level A&R positions at Warner/Chappell Music Publishing and Columbia Records/Sony. He has worked closely with recording artists, musicians, songwriters, producers, managers and executives and understands firsthand the uncertainty and emotional demands of building a career in music.

That experience informs the therapy—but doesn't replace it. Our work is grounded in evidence-based psychotherapy and tailored to you as an individual, not simply to your profession.

When Creativity and Mental Health Collide

Making music can be cathartic, meaningful and even therapeutic. It can provide a way to process experiences that are difficult to express anywhere else.

But creativity can also be emotionally demanding.

Musicians, songwriters and composers often work in an environment where intensely personal work is routinely judged, rejected, revised, compared and commercialized. There may be pressure to constantly produce, perform, collaborate on demand, remain relevant, navigate difficult personalities and turn creativity into a sustainable career.

Over time, those pressures can contribute to:

• Anxiety and depression

• Creative blocks

• Perfectionism and self-doubt

• Imposter syndrome

• Performance anxiety

• Burnout

• Fear of failure or rejection

• Relationship difficulties

• Career uncertainty and transitions

• Difficulty separating identity from professional success

• Substance use or unhealthy coping strategies

• Problems with motivation and focus

Therapy can provide a confidential place to understand what's happening beneath those experiences and develop practical ways of responding differently.

The Creative Self and the Strategic Self

One issue we frequently explore with artists is the tension between the creative self and the strategic self.

Your creative self needs freedom to experiment, take risks, make mistakes and follow ideas without constantly evaluating whether they're commercially viable.

Your strategic self has a different job: thinking about career, deadlines, collaborators, labels, publishers, audiences, releases, touring and opportunities.

When the strategic voice enters the creative process too early, creativity can become paralyzed by questions like:

Is this good enough? Is this commercial? Will my label or publisher like it? Is this a single? What if nobody cares?

Learning to recognize—and sometimes separate—these two modes can help restore both creative freedom and a greater sense of control.

Therapy Isn't About Making You More “Productive”

The goal isn't simply to write more songs, make better records or perform more successfully.

It's to help you understand the patterns that may be interfering with your ability to live and create in a way that feels healthy and sustainable.

Depending on what you're experiencing, our work might involve CBT, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, mindfulness, positive psychology and other evidence-based approaches. We may work on managing anxiety, challenging perfectionism, navigating relationships, developing healthier boundaries, recovering from burnout or reconnecting with the reasons you began making music in the first place.

Sometimes becoming healthier does make creativity easier. But your well-being is more important than your output.

A Confidential Space for Music Professionals

The music industry can feel surprisingly small. That can make it difficult to talk openly about what you're experiencing—particularly when the people around you may also be your bandmates, collaborators, managers, publishers, label executives or business partners.

Therapy provides a confidential space outside of that ecosystem.

At ArtistServices, discretion and confidentiality are fundamental to the work.

Therapy for Musicians, Songwriters & Composers in Los Angeles

ArtistServices Therapy is located in Culver City, Los Angeles, near Sony Pictures and convenient to many of Los Angeles' music and entertainment communities.

Sessions are available in person in Culver City and virtually throughout California.

If you're a musician, songwriter or composer struggling with anxiety, depression, burnout, relationships, performance anxiety, creative blocks—or simply trying to navigate the emotional complexity of a creative career—we'd be glad to hear from you.

Reach out to ArtistServices Therapy for a confidential consultation.