Holding Space for the Creative Mind: Therapy for Musicians and Artists

As therapists, we work with the rich complexity of human experience. When that experience is filtered through the lens of creativity—particularly in those who live and work in artistic spaces, it often comes with a unique blend of sensitivity, intensity, and vulnerability.

Musicians, artists, writers, performers: these individuals offer their inner worlds as public expressions, and while that act can be profoundly healing and connective, it can also come at a cost.

In my work as a psychotherapeutic counsellor, and as someone who also navigates the world as a musician, I’ve come to recognise some of the distinct needs creatives bring into the therapy room. This post explores how we, as therapists, can better hold space for those whose identities are entwined with creativity.

The Emotional Landscape of Creatives

Creative individuals often experience emotions in stereo, deeply and with a wide frequency range. This sensitivity can be a gift, allowing them to access and express feelings that others may struggle to name. But it also means they may be more vulnerable to overwhelm, perfectionism, or a persistent inner critic.

It’s not uncommon for creative clients to say things like, “I don’t know who I am without this,” or “If I’m not producing, I’m failing.” Your sense of identity and worth may be intricately tied to your work. Therapy can offer a space where you are seen beyond the product of your creativity and where the focus shifts from doing to being.

Understanding the Industry Pressures

For those in the music industry or other creative sectors, the work doesn’t end with making art. There’s the grind of performance, financial instability, the pressure to remain relevant, and the unrelenting scrutiny of social media. Touring can lead to disconnection from routine, rest, and relationships. A bad review or a cancelled show can feel existential.

These pressures can trigger anxiety, depression, substance use, or burnout. But often, there’s also shame, shame about struggling in a profession that others romanticise. Therapists who understand this context can help reduce the sense of isolation and validate that these struggles are not a reflection of personal failure, but of systemic strain.

Relational and Integrative Work with Creatives

My approach is integrative and relational, drawing from psychodynamic and person-centred foundations. When working with creative clients, I’ve found that attunement is everything. Many artists are attuned to subtle shifts in others. We are often excellent observers of mood and meaning, so we notice nuance.

Holding space without rushing to interpret, and allowing for silences that aren’t awkward but reflective, can be a powerful act. Psychodynamic work can help explore the early relational patterns that shape one’s identity as an artist, while person-centred presence can affirm the client’s inner wisdom.

Welcoming Creativity into the Therapy Room

Therapy doesn’t have to be detached from creative process. Clients might bring in lyrics, poetry, drawings, or dreams. Sometimes a metaphor or image says more than words can. As therapists, we can be open to these alternative forms of communication—not just as content, but as expressions of emotion that words struggle to contain.

We can also notice and honour the rhythm of the room itself. For a client whose life is lived at high tempo, therapy may be their only slow movement. For others, it’s where dissonance can be tolerated long enough for it to transform.

The Therapist as Creative

Being a therapist who is also an artist informs my work in ways I didn’t anticipate. I understand the vulnerability of being seen, the terror of creative blocks, and the strange paradox of craving both solitude and connection.

I’ve learned that it’s okay to bring that part of myself into the work, not as self-disclosure for its own sake, but as quiet, resonant understanding. It helps me hold a certain kind of space that says: “I get it. You don’t have to explain everything.”

Beyond Performance

Creativity isn’t a performance in therapy. It’s a doorway to depth, meaning, and healing. Our role isn’t to “fix” the struggling artist, it’s to sit beside you, to listen to the silence between the notes, and to gently ask: “Who are you when you’re not performing?”

For some clients, that might be the first time they’ve been asked.

If you’re currently thinking about therapy and would like someone who understands your artistic process, please feel free to reach out to me via my contact page to enquire.