Last fall, Behind the Scenes conducted an online survey of industry members which received an unprecedented response. This was followed by two focus groups in January to delve deeper into some of the issues and concerns raised in the survey responses. One of the most frequent complaints we heard was how difficult it is to find a therapist who knows anything about the entertainment industry and who is available to see people on nights and weekends or through teletherapy.

As one of the first programs of our mental health and suicide prevention initiative, we are partnering with HelpPro to create an online therapist finder specifically for the entertainment industry. This means that we are seeking therapists who either have personal experience in our industry or who have previously seen clients who work in the industry and learned about the unique pressures and stresses.

In order to make this program a valuable resource for the industry, we need the assistance of everyone in the industry who has seen a therapist they thought was helpful. If you or a family member have experience with a therapist you think should be listed on the finder, please send their contact information to [email protected]. We’ll reach out to them to let them know when the finder is ready for them to sign up.

They’ll be asked about their experience in the industry and will complete an extensive questionnaire that includes their areas of specialty, what insurance they accept and whether they have a sliding scale for those not covered, whether they have weekend and nighttime office hours or will conduct phone or video sessions, and much more. This will allow those seeking counseling to find the best possible matches for their needs.

We are hoping to launch the new finder in late March or early April – contingent upon having enough therapists listed to be useful.