Mental Health
Episode 11: An Introduction to Mental Health and Wellness for Dancers
To begin DanceWell's celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month, we talk with Catherine Drury, the social worker for the Dancers’ Resource at the Actors Fund, about some of the important facets of mental health for dancers. Join us as we discuss when to reach out for support, the most opportune time for the deepest work, mental health and injury, and resources available to dancers through the Actors Fund.
Episode 32: Eating Disorders 101
Dr. Elisabeth Morray, psychologist and eating disorder specialist, kicks off our conversations by explaining all the basics. What are eating disorders? Who is vulnerable to developing them? How are eating disorders treated? What do we need look for to help keep dancers healthy? How can someone get help? We'll discuss all of this and more.
Episode 12: Positive and Negative Self-Talk
Do you ever find that you speak to yourself much more harshly than you would speak to anyone else? Self-talk describes the things you say to yourself, consciously or unconsciously which can be either positive of negative in nature. In Episode 12, success coach and wellness mentor Elizabeth Sullivan discusses how negative self-talk impedes achievement and how to turn it around. Positive self-talk isn't about pretending everything is great, it's about finding active and accurate language that makes room for growth and improvement.
Dr. Paula Thomson shares research that she and Dr. Victoria Jacque have conducted on shame, a complex emotion that dancers appear to experience more than the average population. Dr. Thomson explains why dancers might be particularly vulnerable to shame as well as how to leverage shame into functional outcomes and avoid downward spirals into rumination and emotional (or physical) self-harm. We also discuss strategies to avoid eliciting shame in the studio, classroom, or other training spaces.
Episode 13: Managing Stress and Anxiety
Stress and anxiety can be both psychologically motivating and physically debilitating. Tune in as Catherine Drury, LCSW describes stress in its many forms and introduces ways in which dancers can manage both in and out of the studio.
Episode 83: Addiction in Dance
In this episode, Dr Antonio Ocana discusses addiction in dance. He shares information about the rates of addiction in our field, the nature of these addictions, and their causes—at both a biochemical level and a cultural level.