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Artist Wellbeing provides mental health and wellbeing support for artists and those working within artistic industries; such as theatre, TV & film and dance.
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Artist Wellbeing can support anyone who identifies as an "artist"; such as actors, dancers, writers, directors, performance artists, visual artists and more.
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Artist Wellbeing can support those who work alongside & in collaboration artists; such as producers, crew members, stage-managers, lighting/sound technicians, venue members and more.
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All services are provided by qualified & registered counsellors or psychotherapists, who also have experience in supervision and working within a creative industry.
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Depending upon specific needs, services are provided via online video support, in-person sessions, on-location or within the rehearsal room.
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MEET THE TEAM
Lou Platt
Creative Arts Psychotherapist
Internal Family Systems Therapist
EMDR Practitioner
Clinical Supervisor
Lived Experience of Acting and Theatre Devising
Lou is a Dramatherapist, an Internal Family Systems Therapist, EMDR Practitioner, a Clinical Supervisor and has lived experience of being a performer in the theatre industry. She has worked in various mental health settings and private practice for over 20 years.
She is the founder and director of The Artist Wellbeing Company and began supporting the mental health of those working in creative industries in 2012. Since then she has worked with various individuals and production companies in theatre, dance, TV and Film, providing individual on-call therapeutic sessions as well as team workshops and process supervision.
Lou believes in not only supporting the individual but also developing processes and structures that aim to centralise the wellbeing of those who make the art happen. She is dynamic and compassionate in her approach to wellbeing within the arts, and hopes to create new practices that are ethical, equitable, sustainable and enjoyable.
Production credits include: Netflix, BBC, HBO, Amazon Prime, The Globe, Regents Park Open Air Theatre, Adama Productions, Birmingham Rep, Cambridge Junction and various small scale theatre companies and individuals.
Nikki Disney
Dramatherapist
Clinical Supervisor
Yoga Teacher
Nikki is a state registered Drama and Movement therapist, Clinical Supervisor (MA. HCPC, Badth), who has worked within theatre and the arts for over 20 years. She co-convenies the British Association of Dramatherapist Theatre Arts and Health Sub-commitee and is the Assistant Director of the Artist Wellbeing Company.
Nikki has implemented and delivered safeguarding and wellbeing procedures within arts organisations, lead on access and wellbeing for festivals and worked with artists on boundaries, trauma informed approaches and wellbeing with organisations such as Derby Theatre, Nottingham Playhouse, The Royal Court and The National Theatre of Scotland. She has implemented tool kits for wellbeing in the rehearsal room and specialise in themes of trauma, mental health and autobiographical material. She specialises in working with Children and Young People in the Film and Television industry and brings 15 years of working within therapeutic support for Young People including CAMHS, The Place2Be and the Children's Society.
She remains engaged in her artistic practice through poetry, aerial, dance and short films.
Noelle Adames
Dramatherapist
Clinical Supervisor
Marriage and Family Therapist
Actor in Theatre, TV & Film
Noelle approaches her work from a wide-ranging background as a Dramatherapist, Professional Actress, Marriage and Family Therapist, and Artist Educator. Through her 20+ years of working in therapy and the arts, she brings an understanding of the important role that play and creativity hold in forming a healthy, balanced and happy individual or group. She combines her years of experiential and educational lives to work with folk in discovering, growing and healing through the creative arts. Understanding the complexities of creating and being creative, Noelle works with artists to develop a safe and open space to explore and develop their work and themselves. Noelle is an HCPC qualified dramatherapist. She holds an MA in Drama and Movement Therapy from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, an MEd in Counselling from George Mason University and is a CAST trained clinical supervisor.
Production Credits include: Royal Court, Regents Park Open Air Theatre, Brighten People's Theatre, Netflix, Forge Entertainment
Eshmit Kaur
Dramatherapist
Reflective Process Practitioner
Performer & Creative Facilitator
Eshmit is an Initiated Sikh, a Dramatherapist (MA, HCPC, BADth), Performer and Creative Facilitator. Having trained as an Actor (ALRA, BA Hons), Eshmit became interested in the relationship between the arts and emotional wellbeing, the act of Serving others and art-making and performance offering a transpersonal experience. This led Eshmit to undertaking Dramatherapy training and working with people with various needs since then.
Eshmit's clinical experience includes working with children and young people facing issues such anxiety, self-harm, disordered eating, managing neurodiversity and sexualised behaviour. Specialising in Complex and Attachment Trauma, she has worked in Tiers 2-4 in NHS CAMH Services, a therapeutic school and currently with private fostering agencies and a care-provider offering consultation and training to residential children’s home to help manage the complex needs of developmentally traumatised young people. She also runs her own private therapy practice, EK Therapy, which aims to reduce barriers of access for individuals and communities that have experienced institutional and systemic issues within mainstream services.
She is actively involved in grassroots projects within the Sikh Community and helping young people to thrive on a spiritual and temporal level.
Production credits include: Bristol Old Vic, Fifth Word Theatre, Derby University, Nottingham Playhouse, Birmingham Rep, Soho Theatre, Ad Infinitum & Kali Theatre Company.
Emma Hagen
Psychodrama-psychotherapist
Clinical Supervisor
Person Centred Counsellor
Emma is a psychodrama psychotherapist, person-centred counsellor, clinical supervisor, senior trainer and co-founder of Psychodrama Scotland. Emma has worked as a drama artist, director, and project manager for over two decades with various theatre companies and organisations including Citizens Theatre, Tron Theatre, Scottish Opera, 7:84 Theatre Company, Visible Fictions, Borderline, Toonspeak, Birds of Paradise, Urbancroft and Solar Bear. Her inside knowledge and experience of creative industries, alongside her established clinical experience makes Emma a grounded and informed artist wellbeing practitioner.
She specialises in working with marginalised group with diverse needs. Over the course of her career, Emma has established and facilitated a range of projects within the creative industries, combining her skills, knowledge, and experience to create unique and dynamic projects within drama, theatre, and film, with a range of therapeutic, educational, and creative outcomes. Emma is passionate about offering safe and containing experiences, built on a relationship that is authentic, transparent, and congruent.
Production credits include: National Theatre Scotland, Forge Entertainment
Haydn Forde
Dramatherapist
Clinical Supervisor
Transpersonal Psychotherapist
Integrative Counsellor
Haydn is an experienced dramatherapist, creative arts supervisor, integrative counsellor and transpersonal psychotherapist, who has also worked in theatre/radio as a professional actor between 1991-1999.
Born in Trinidad, having spent his formative years and early twenties immersed in the cultural expression that is Trinidad Carnival, he has experienced the healing potential of creative expression in society, via drama, music, dance/movement and art.
As a therapist, he has worked in a variety of settings including primary/secondary education, acute adult psychiatry and private practice; however his past experience of the acting profession also ignited a passion to work for the mental health and wellbeing of those within the creative arts professions.
Haydn is also currently pursuing a diploma in Gender, Sex and Relationship Diversity (GSRD) from Pink Therapy.
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Tricia Gannon
Dramatherapist
Clinical Supervisor
Actor
Tricia has over 10 years experience of being a HCPC qualified Drama & Movement Therapist, and is also a clinical creative arts Supervisor having gained her qualification from CAST in 2022.
Prior to her life as a psychotherapist, Tricia has worked as an actor for over 20 years with companies such as the Royal National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, on both classical plays and new writing. She has worked many times in film and long running TV dramas, as well as directing in Theatre In Education. These experiences have given her a strong understanding or rehearsal rooms, film and TV sets and fostered a desire to be part of making these spaces safe, creative and inclusive.
Since becoming a Dramatherapist she has worked in mainstream and special educational settings, with a particular interest in neurodiversity.
Supervision has meant working with leadership and staff in education as well as parent groups and bereavement in school for children with life-limiting illnesses. She also supervises psychotherapy students who have clients in the creative industries.
Tricia can offer creatives and productions both individual and team support.
Lucy Steggals
Integrative Arts Psychotherapist
Artist and Facilitator
Lucy is a London based integrative art psychotherapist, visual artist and
creative facilitator with over 20 years’ experience working across the arts. Lucy works
therapeutically 1:1 and with groups to co–create safe, confidential, non-judgemental spaces to hold curiosity and support reflection. She has a compassionate, in-the-moment approach that’s focused on exploring thoughts and feelings as they arise, taking into consideration how past life experiences might shape present emotional struggles.
Lucy has worked in a youth charity, NHS acute mental health, Home Start in supporting families, Likewise in working with vulnerable adults and The Centre For Better Health in providing a low cost therapy service. She also works in private practice.
Lucy’s background working in social engaged arts practice collaborating with diverse groups has led her to develop a passion for facilitating reflective and supportive spaces for creative practitioners. She has previously collaborated with partners including Cubitt Gallery,Camden Arts Centre, Towner Art Gallery, Hayward Gallery, Turner Contemporary, Whitechapel Gallery, Royal Opera House, Kettles Yard, National Portrait Gallery, Gasworks, V&A, Tate and Wysing Arts Centre.
HealthCare Award Winner
2020/21