Where to Find Support as a Performer

– a guide to support for the times you might need it most. The blog I wish I had found in 2017.

Hi there! Firstly, thank you for taking the time to engage in this blog. It may be something you were really needing to find right now, or perhaps it’s for someone you know or love, or even something that you don’t think you need but might want to have in your back pocket for the future. No matter why you are reading this today, I am grateful you are, and I hope to offer some tangible and useful insight into finding support as a performer.  

But first, a little intro to me – my name is Raffaella Covino (you can call me Raff), and I am a retired Performer/Creative and now full-time Founder and Director of Applause for thought. As a performer, I spent my 13-year career swinging, dance captaining and associating musicals and plays across the West End, UK and internationally. Applause for thought (AFT) is a multi-award-winning community interest company that facilitates 360-degree mental health support, talks and workshops, accredited courses and bespoke consultancy within the performing arts and entertainment industry. I founded AFT on February 3^rd 2019 and it was born from my lived experience working in our industry whilst also navigating a dual mental health disorder diagnosis. In 2017 when my then undiagnosed mental illness was reaching its peak, I searched for avenues of support within the arts but kept coming up short. I didn’t know it then (as I was at the peak of my mental illness) but that would be the ember that would later grow into AFT and in turn my now lifelong passion of supporting mental health within the arts industry. Now, nearly 10 years later, I am fortunate enough to be able to write the blog I wish I had found in 2017.

Reaching out for Support

Not always easy. Let’s get that bit out the way. Even though we are talking about mental health more, that doesn’t mean people are reaching out for and subsequently accessing appropriate mental health support. This could be for many reasons that I won’t delve into in this blog. But one of the reasons I can identify is that we believe there is an imaginary threshold for reaching out for support. Examples include: “I have to be *insert how unwell I think we need to be* to get support”, or “I am functioning and coping with *insert the acute symptoms I am experiencing* so I must be fine”, or the classic – “Someone else has it much worse than me, I don’t deserve support”. Perspective, resilience and capacity for discomfort are all vital to thriving and surviving as humans. But from someone who started their therapeutic journey whilst many years into an undiagnosed hole of mental illness, it is a whole lot easier to work on your mental ill health when you are out of the hole, then when you are at the bottom of it. In summary, don’t wait until things get really bad to seek support. Therapy/self-care/community support/holistic support/coaching (whatever works for you) can and should be used as maintenance not just in crisis. But Raff, (I hear you shout at your screen) THAT COSTS MONEY AND TIME THAT PERFORMERS DON’T TYPICALLY HAVE AT THEIR DISPOSAL. I hear ya, and I am right with you. So, whilst I save my comments on the state of the NHS mental health system/access to free support for prevention rather than reaction for another time, hopefully some of the signposting and thoughts I offer below can help.

Finding 121 Support

With therapy, hypnotherapy, psychology, psychiatry, coaching and much more out there it can be a confusing landscape. Where to start, who is right for me, what modality will feel like the right fit, how do I know someone is qualified (we are looking to avoid the ‘did one 4 hour online session and became a life coach’ crowd…) Below are some pointers on what to think about when accessing 121 support, and then where you might be able to find it.

Tips

• Are they a member of an accrediting body? A couple (there are more) that you want to look out for – BACP  , UKCP registered for therapists. ICF for coaches. If your practitioner is registered with these, they will at the very least be appropriately trained and committing to a set of ethics and industry standards.
• It can be like dating – you might not find the right person on the first try. Most, if not all reputable 121 practitioners will offer you a short intro call to get to know each other before starting sessions. Get a feel for them and look out for a sense of connection and trust. 
• Ask if they offer lower cost slots – some therapists will offer a limited number of low-cost slots. It is always worth an ask to see whether they have any available or if there is a waitlist you could join.
• Have a think about whether you might want to speak to someone who shares some of your lived experiences like gender, race, religious background or sexuality. This will help you limit your search.
• They aren’t going to “fix” you. Because you don’t need to be fixed and they are not in your brain. But that doesn’t mean you can’t move from a period of mental illness to a period of good mental health. Your health (which is mind and body) are on an ongoing journey. You deserve to feel compassion, healing, exploration and understanding. Oh, and recovery does not always mean the absence of symptoms (that one had me stumped for years!)

Where to go

Rather than offer a long list here – at Applause for thought we have recently launched our new website which has a section that we *hope* will feel like a welcoming and clear hub with all the links to support we know about in the arts (and beyond) all in one place. Please find the link here.

On it you can find:

• Information on the difference between therapy and coaching
• Explanations of the different modalities of therapy
• Access our Directory which is a list of therapists, coaches and practitioners who all offer discounted 121 sessions if you come via AFT and who all have an understanding of the arts
• Links to all the other arts mental health organisations we know about that offer lower cost mental health support
• Link to Spotlight where you can access 6 sessions for free as a member via Wellbeing in the Arts
• Links outside the arts where you can access support
• Crisis resources
• Links to community groups (free monthly ones via AFT and other organisations)
• Grounding techniques and more

Support comes in many forms and looks different for everyone. If you are looking for something specific or want some guidance on accessing support – email us at info@applauseforthought.co.uk. We will be more than happy to help.

I just want to round up this blog with a reminder that we all deserve support. We deserve to thrive not just survive in this weird, challenging, and sometimes wonderful industry. Support gives us the tools, motivation and self-awareness to be able to build resilience. Never reaching out for support when we need it doesn’t build strength, it builds fragility and isolation, and we need connection now more than ever.

Raffaella Covino