For over 30 years I've been working in the arts. Since 2005 I have directed hundreds of actors in trauma-based educational dramas under contract with Western University and the Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children in London, Canada. I'm also a multiple-award winning director for my own independent films. In 2016, I was looking to expand my capacity for directing actors. Specifically those actors who struggled to be emotionally authentic to themselves when performing scenes of a traumatic nature. From 2016-2022 I trained in various therapeutic modalities at accredited institutes which included three years as a placement therapist under clinical supervision working one-to-one with clients with complex PTSD, anxiety and depression. After learning a great deal about trauma I turned my thoughts back to the actors I had encountered in the past. I realised that they may have been stuck in a trauma behaviour pattern and didn't feel safe enough to venture any further than their current comfort zone. After six years of educating myself on therapeutic approaches (which was richly rewarding from a professional and personal development perspective) I returned to working in the creative realm with actors. I developed and piloted Actor Care® (formerly known as ACES - Actualizing Characters by Expanding Self-awareness). A trauma-informed model for actors developing emotionally challenging characters. It was inspired by TSM (Therapeutic Spiral Model) Psychodrama. Although Actor Care® is not therapy, in the interest of my own continued learning and for my own ethical standards, I have chosen to have supervision with a qualified clinical supervisor. My own research and academic work is also peer reviewed. 
 

Actor Care® was one of the processes used during the Mind the Gap resilience research at Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance in collaboration with London South Bank University in England. It's being used in film and theatre and has been a game changer for many actors. I'm also very excited about its inclusion in the book series Stanislavsky and… (Routledge, Taylor & Francis). I am continually reminded of all the benefits of Actor Care® that initially flooded my brain in an 'aha' moment in 2021.  I'm still unpacking, researching, documenting and refining that 'aha'. What I know so far and what has been evident in my work with actors is Actor Care® 1) supports  a multidimensional exploration of Character by integrating a 21st century understanding of how trauma impacts behaviour & psychology 2) ensures actor resilience before accessing vulnerabilities 3) creates effective boundaries  4) brings Character backstories to life creating a visceral memory of a fictional 'lived experience' making it readily accessible for performance purposes 5) manages the actor's emotional experience by building self-regulation strategies right into the Character's psychological make-up. ​
 

My passion to create community led to a collaboration with Dr. Mark Seton. Together we produced/curated & moderated the Actor Wellbeing Webinar series hosted by the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA). The series was a five-part panel discussion that brought together practitioners, educators, researchers, & therapists from across the globe to discuss the various aspects of actor wellbeing, i.e. in lifestyle, work, education, actor's craft & research. The connections we made from this project formed an Actor Wellbeing Facilitators Collective that has enabled the panelists and others involved in actor wellbeing work to stay in touch for further collaborations and information sharing. 

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On other international fronts, Actor Care® has been presented at the International Association of Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes (Italy), Musicians’ and Performing Artists’ Health and Performance (Norway), the Australian Society for Performing Arts Health, Association for Theatre in Higher Education (USA), Stanislavsky Research Centre (England), Performing Arts Medicine Association (USA) and, Association of Acting Coaches & Educators (Canada). I work with educational institutions as well as with industry communities like Spotlight, FilmLocal and the Association of Acting Coaches and Educators. I also work with entire casts as well as 1-1 with actors in rehearsal/production and independently to develop a healthier/self-care approach that also allows for a deeper/layered emotional experience of their character. Recent productions include the feature film Broken Bird (Catalyst Studios, Serbia/USA), Heirlooms (Dir. Peter Huang), A Vampire Story, Taxidermist Daughter (Greenwich Theatre, UK), Within These Four Walls (Judi Dench Playhouse, UK).
 

I am a member of Actors Equity UK and the Association of Acting Coaches & Educators (AACE) and abide by their code of ethics.

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Certificates Awarded*: Humanistic Integrative Counselling, Psychodynamic Integrative Counselling, Psychodrama Theory & Practice, Therapeutic Spiral Model Experiential Trauma Therapy (level 2).

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*I am not a therapist.