The Benefits of Working with an On-Set Performance and Wellbeing Coach-Therapist

As you rush through the set to the director’s office at 8 a.m. to go over the daily schedule, you feel as if you’re under siege. You’ve been there since 7 a.m. and left at midnight. An actor is walking toward you, complaining about a cameraman’s attitude and asking if you can have a word with them. Another actor is experiencing emotional fatigue and hasn’t shown up on set for the third day in a row. You’re scrambling to reorganize the shoot and keep to the production schedule. “I can’t bl**dy split myself in half,” you mutter under your breath. You can literally feel your blood pressure rising.

What if there were a designated person on set to take some of that responsibility off your shoulders?

Enter Stage Right—Your On-Set Performance and Wellbeing Coach

I trained for six years as a Gestalt psychotherapist and am accredited by the highly esteemed UKCP professional accrediting body for psychotherapists. I specialized in trauma, with my MA dissertation focusing on the body and trauma. I went on to train in more specialized trauma therapies, including attachment-informed EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Sensorimotor Therapy. Along the way, I rediscovered my passion for acting and am currently training in Meisner and Method acting. Combining my two passions—therapy and acting—I now support actors as an on-set performance and wellbeing coach.

How I Support Actors On-Set

Co-Creating a General On-Set Wellbeing Protocol

For example, on the set of an indie film with around 20 actors and 20 crew members, I began by asking each team member what they needed to feel supported during production. I gathered responses in person and via email or an app for those who preferred a more private approach.

Based on this, I developed a wellbeing program that included optional start-of-day and end-of-day 30-minute sessions. The morning sessions included:

• 15 minutes of nervous system regulation exercises, such as deep breathing or self-massage of the calves and feet for grounding.

• A brief one-word check-in, allowing everyone to gauge where their colleagues were emotionally and fostering a sense of community.

One-on-One Therapeutic Support for Performance Anxiety

If an actor experiences stage fright, I use techniques from my therapy toolbox—Gestalt Therapy, EMDR, IFS, Sensorimotor Therapy, and CBT—to help them regulate their nervous system.

For example, I worked with an actor, let’s call her Jay, who struggled with nerves before going on set. I introduced an EMDR resource tapping technique, having her recall times she felt calm, strong, and safe while alternately tapping her arms in a butterfly hug. By reinforcing these neural pathways daily, she was able to transform her nerves into excitement and use them to her advantage during performances.

As an on-set acting coach, I also use somatic interventions based on Polyvagal Theory, such as:

• Encouraging actors to make a deep “voo” sound from their gut, allowing the vibrations to activate their vagus nerve and signal safety to the nervous system.
• Using grounding techniques from CBT, such as naming five things they can see, hear, and smell to bring them into the present moment.
• Applying Gestalt Therapy techniques to help actors challenge their inner critic.

Supporting Actors Who Struggle to Disconnect from Their Roles

Some actors find their personal trauma activated by a role, making it difficult to separate from their character at the end of the day. Others experience emotional numbness, struggling to connect with their character at all. This inconsistency can lead to burnout, absences, and production delays—every producer’s nightmare.

Case Study: Emotional Numbing and Reconnection

To keep identities confidential, I’ll call this actor Jen. Jen played a mother whose son was accused of murder. She needed to tap into grief and anger while confronting the victim’s mother. Initially, she accessed these emotions effortlessly, but as the scene was reshot multiple times, she felt an increasing emotional block. The more takes they did, the more detached she became.

In our sessions, I introduced her to Internal Family Systems Theory, reframing the numbing as a protective part rather than an obstacle. She imagined this part as a stone-faced man in a bowler hat and beige raincoat. We conducted a dialogue exercise where she moved between chairs to speak as both herself and the protective part. Eventually, she realized that this part had been shielding her from childhood grief, making intense emotions feel overwhelming.

To support her, I guided her through:

• The container exercise to put the character aside at the end of the day.
• EMDR split-screen visualization, helping her differentiate between herself and her character.
• Attachment-informed EMDR to process unresolved grief and reduce the protector’s need to step in.
• Polyvagal and Sensorimotor Therapy techniques to create a physical sense of safety.

As a result, Jen regained consistency in her performance, accessing emotions reliably while maintaining the ability to disengage after filming.

How My Support Benefits Productions

Feedback from clients confirms that my presence on set: ✔️ Prevents costly delays by helping actors regulate emotions quickly. ✔️ Reduces the need for reshoots by ensuring stable emotional performances. ✔️ Creates a mentally safe and supportive production environment, improving morale.

Why Hire an On-Set Performance and Wellbeing Coach?

I bring the unique combination of industry experience as an actor and extensive expertise as a highly accredited psychotherapist. This means that when an actor’s personal material comes up, I can support them in a professional, boundaried way—without the need for outside referrals. This fosters a strong sense of safety and cohesion within the production team.

Additionally, my experience as a group facilitator allows me to skillfully navigate both group and one-on-one dynamics, ensuring that the entire team benefits from a well-supported, emotionally balanced working environment.