MENTAL HEALTH & ADDICTION RECOVERY
MusiCares operates a Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Program that recognizes those issues unique to music professionals at any stage of their career. We offer eligible individuals financial assistance and resources for psychotherapy, coaching and psychiatric expenses, inpatient and outpatient treatment, detox and sober living costs.
Free Support Groups
MusiCares understands that far too many people with mental health and addiction issues are not getting the help or treatment that they need. Addressing that fact, MusiCares offers eleven free weekly online emotional support and addiction recovery support groups open to anyone interested in participating. Support groups are a safe and secure place to sort through a variety of wellness issues or concerns. Each group is led by a licensed professional and additional assistance is available if needed. These support groups are not a substitute for regular medical, psychotherapeutic or addiction care. If you need additional or more expansive care, please contact a representative at MusiCares who can assist you in finding appropriate resources, counseling or other types of therapy and treatment.
To assist our clients in recovery, MusiCares offers various types of free, online recovery support groups in Los Angeles, Nashville, Austin, New Orleans, New York, Atlanta, and Fort Collins, Colorado. All of our groups are offered virtually until the pandemic allows us to meet again in person. These groups offer a safe environment in which clients can discuss the challenges of staying clean and sober in the music industry. For more information about any of the groups listed below, please contact one of our MusiCares offices.
Cyber Emotional Support Groups in Partnership with ASCAP
Feeling stressed or anxious about the state of the music industry at the moment? Feeling down or simply needing a bit of community and support? Please join us weekly for one of our confidential cyber support groups. These groups are free of charge and occur weekly. Contact the group leader below for more information and dial-in instructions.
Los Angeles, CA
Friday: 1pm-2pm PT - Paul Ill
Contact: Paulill@me.com or (818) 634-8953
Paul Ill is a graduate of Berklee College of Music who is currently completing his MFT Practicum at Northcentral University. He is a former United States Air Force Officer, Combat-eta Disabled Military Veteran who has earned a living in the music industry as a successful musician and songwriter.
Women's Support Group
Nashville, TN
Thursday: 12pm– 1pm CT - Danielle Bowker, LPC/MHSP
Contact: Danielle@dBCounseling.com
Danielle is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Tennessee with a private practice in the Nashville area. She is able to offer a unique perspective having grown up as a child in and around the music industry and as the wife of a touring Weekend Warrior. Danielle also has over ten years of experience working directly with music professionals. She is a certified EMDR clinician and specializes in trauma-informed care for those in the industry.
Black Music Community Group
Atlanta, GA
Thursday: 12pm-1pm PT - Dr. Adrienne N. Williams LMSW, MSW, M.Ed.
Contact: Adrienne@mylifeepiphany.com
Adrienne is a Licensed Social Worker with a Master’s in Education and is a current doctoral candidate at Widener University. Adrienne is a clinician in private practice, where her goal is to dismantle stigma and shame about mental health and sex in our society. She provides individual therapy, couples counseling, sex therapy, workshops, and professional development. As a university lecturer, she has designed courses and taught for both residential and online classes for graduate students at the Columbia University School of Social Work.
LGBTQIA+ Music Community Group
Atlanta, GA
Wednesday: 12pm-1pm PT - Dr. Adrienne N. Williams LMSW, MSW, M.Ed.
Contact: Adrienne@mylifeepiphany.com
Adrienne is a Licensed Social Worker with a Master’s in Education and is a current doctoral candidate at Widener University. Adrienne is a clinician in private practice, where her goal is to dismantle stigma and shame about mental health and sex in our society. She provides individual therapy, couples counseling, sex therapy, workshops, and professional development. As a university lecturer, she has designed courses and taught for both residential and online classes for graduate students at the Columbia University School of Social Work.
Emotional Health Support Group for Songwriters & Composers
Los Angeles, CA
Monday: 1pm-2pm PT - Shawn LaRe’ Brinkley LMFT
Contact: info@livinglovedhealing.org
Shawn LaRé Brinkley is a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist, Transformational Performance Coach, and Speaker/Trainer/Author. She is also pursuing her Doctorate in General Psychology, with an emphasis in Performance Psychology. Her private practice in Encino, CA is a group practice, which she considers a “reaching practice” as she employs and supervises Associate Marriage Family Therapists, Associate Professional Clinical Counselors, and Associate Clinical Social Workers as well as she is contracted with University of Massachusetts Global as a field training partner.
A Community advocate, Mrs. Brinkley has served as president of the Black Women’s Network; a business and professional women’s organization. Additionally, she serves as Vice-President on the Board of Directors for The Advot Project, whose mission is to empower incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, economically disadvantaged, “at promise” adolescent boys, girls, and young adults to take control of their destiny by teaching them communication, life, and healthy relationship skills through artistic avenues such as theatre/drama, music, poetry/spokenword, and dance. Most recently, Mrs. Brinkley founded a 501C3 Non-Profit organization to honor the illustrious memory of her late husband: The William Joseph Brinkley Center for Cultural Affirmation, which endeavors to uplift, honor and affirm people of color through the delivery positive programming dedicated to mental wellness, artistic consciousness, character building, and dream designing.
Cyber Addiction Recovery Support Groups
A little deeper than a 12-step meeting and not quite as intense as a process group, MusiCares offers a variety of weekly groups for the recovering community. Groups are free of charge and open to any music person interested in attending. Contact one of the group leaders below for more information and dial-in instructions.
Los Angeles, CA
Tuesday: 2pm– 3pm PT - David Roberti, CADC II
Contact: david.roberti@gmail.com or (310) 993-3184
David Roberti CADC II, Addiction Counselor and Mental Health Coach. He is a graduate of the UCLA Addiction Counseling Program, Musician’s Institute (PIT), and Dick Groves’ Music Program.
Fort Collins, CO
Wednesday: 6pm– 7pm PT - Marty Rein, PhD
Contact: mjrein24@comcast.net or (970) 829-7399
Marty has a B.M. in Music Education and an M.Ed. and Ph.D. in Education and Human Resource Studies from Colorado State University. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certified Addition Counselor. Marty has also worked professionally as a bassist for four decades in the music industry including touring, recording, managing, and teaching both privately and in the public-school setting.
New Orleans, LA
Thursday: 4pm– 5pm PT - August Boyd, LCSW
Contact: august@imaginerecovery.com or (504) 638-8008
August Boyd is a licensed social worker. August completed her undergraduate degrees in creative writing, film, and jazz studies at the University of Southern California. She completed her graduate work at Louisiana State University’s School of Social Work. She has significant experience assisting individuals with substance-use disorders and co-occurring mental health issues. August is currently the Clinical Director at Imagine Recovery in New Orleans.
New York, NY Tuesday: 4pm– 5pm PT - Victoria Mierlak, LCAT
Contact: victoriamierlak@gmail.com
Victoria Mierlak, MT-BC, LCAT received her undergraduate degree from Berklee College of Music with a focus on voice and music therapy. She went on to receive her master’s in music therapy from NYU as well as completing her advanced training in vocal psychotherapy with Dr. Diane Austin. Victoria has worked in the field as a music psychotherapist since 2006 with various populations and has extensive experience as a singer/songwriter.
Nashville, TN
Thursday: 4pm-5pm PT - Pete Harris, PhD
Contact: PeteHarrisPhD@mac.com or (615) 279-3663
Pete Harris, PhD has over 19 years working as a licensed psychologist. Combining neuroscience and evidence-based methods, Pete help clients increase awareness, heal from past wounds, and access their innate strengths.
Austin, TX
Thursday: 2pm– 3pm PT - Anita Jung, LPC
Contact: ajunglpc@yahoo.com
Anita Jung is a licensed psychotherapist who has been working with creatives in the entertainment industry for over 20 years. She is also an internationally acclaimed lecturer and author of musical hypnotherapeutic audio recordings.
Safe Harbor Room
MusiCares has become a leading force in the effort to identify, raise awareness of and address the problems of addiction in our industry. In addition to the financial assistance that is available, MusiCares also provides addiction recovery support through its Safe Harbor Room program. MusiCares established its first Safe Harbor Room backstage at the 39th Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast to provide a support system to artists and crew members struggling with addiction issues. Staffed by qualified chemical dependency and intervention specialists, the Safe Harbor Room offers a support network to those in recovery while they are participating in the production of televised music shows and other major music events. MusiCares has expanded the Safe Harbor Room program to include locations and venues throughout the country.