Editor's Note: This article was originally published on May 13, 2022, and was updated on Oct. 10, 2025 to reflect current offerings.
As the music community’s safety net, MusiCares provides critical support through health services, human services and mental health and addiction recovery services for music professionals in need. With year-round programs and support, MusiCares remains a consistent advocate for mental health and wellness across the industry.
Here are a few examples of how MusiCares supports mental health and wellness year-round.
Nationwide Weekly Support Groups
MusiCares acknowledges the urgent reality that countless individuals facing mental health and addiction challenges are still not receiving the care and support they deserve. MusiCares offers 10 free and confidential virtual emotional support and addiction recovery support groups on a weekly basis to those in need. These support groups provide a safe and secure space to explore a variety of mental health and wellness resources accessible to all individuals nationwide within the music industry. Each group is led by a licensed, highly skilled clinician with specialized expertise in supporting musicians and creatives.
Three of MusiCares’ weekly support groups assist specific communities in the music industry. Join Danielle Bowker, Licensed Professional Counselor, every Thursday for a Women’s Support Group. Bowker 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. Bowker also has over 10 years of experience working directly with music professionals.
Adrienne Williams leads our weekly Black Music Community Group and our LGBTQIA+ Music Community Group every Wednesday and Thursday. Adrienne is a Licensed Social Worker with a Master’s in Education and is a current doctoral candidate at Widener University. Williams is a clinician in private practice, where her goal is to dismantle stigma and shame about mental health and sex in our society, particularly within the Black community. She provides individual therapy, couples counseling, sex therapy, workshops, and professional development.
Paul Ill, Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, hosts a Music Professionals Support Group every Friday. Paul 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. Paul is also a licensed Clinical Therapist. He serves a diverse client population, including support group members from various backgrounds. With his unique experience, Paul is able to deeply empathize with the challenges musicians face, creating a strong connection and understanding in his work.
In addition to our 10 weekly groups, MusiCares offers specialized short-term support groups, including an emotional support group during the holidays and disaster relief groups.
To assist our clients in recovery, MusiCares offers various types of free weekly, online recovery support groups. These groups offer a safe environment in which clients can discuss the challenges of staying clean and sober in the music industry.
All of our groups are currently offered virtually. For more information about any of the emotional support and addiction recovery support groups above, please visit https://www.musicares.org/get-help/addiction-recovery.
Mental Health Treatment & Resources
MusiCares’ Mental Health and Addiction Services Team is made up of licensed professionals dedicated to helping eligible individuals assess and address their mental health and wellness needs. This team provides financial assistance and resources for psychotherapy, psychiatric care, as well as inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment. (To qualify for this funding, individuals must have worked in the music industry for a minimum of five years or have at least six commercially released recordings or videos. For more information, visit www.musicares.org/get-help.)
Passionate about delivering a wide range of comprehensive resources, MusiCares continually expands its Provider Network, increasing access to mental health care by partnering with therapists and professionals across more geographic regions ensuring broader and more inclusive support.
Throughout the year, MusiCares hosts educational webinars on various mental health and wellness topics, fostering ongoing learning and community connection for music professionals.
Additionally, MusiCares offers mental health trainings designed to equip the music community with the tools needed to recognize, understand and manage mental health challenges building a stronger, more resilient industry.
In-Person Outreach
MusiCares is present at festivals and in-person music events to deliver mental health and wellness resources directly to the music community. Being on-site allows us not only to offer immediate support, but also to educate, raise awareness and help break the stigma surrounding mental health, meeting music professionals where they work, perform and live.
As part of this on-site outreach, MusiCares offers The Wellness Lounge, a calming, therapeutic space designed to help artists, crew and staff decompress and recharge. Each lounge is thoughtfully curated to support both mind and body, blending elements of relaxation and therapeutic care. Licensed psychotherapists and massage therapists are on hand to provide direct, personalized support, creating an environment that fosters emotional balance, physical recovery and mental clarity.
In May 2024, MusiCares launched Mindful May in collaboration with Sweetwater in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. Mindful May is a holistic wellness event designed to promote mental, emotional and physical well-being through curated experiences, educational sessions and self-care practices tailored specifically for the music community. The inaugural event was held at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles. This year, the event expanded to Nashville, offering local music professionals accessible, in-person wellness programming designed to build community, inspire resilience and encourage ongoing care.
Community Education & Advocacy
MusiCares staff members speak publicly at various panels, events and on podcasts about the importance of mental health and wellness. This team of licensed professionals are constantly advocating for the prioritization and destigmatization of mental health in the music industry.
At SXSW 2025, Candress Suber, a Client Manager on MusiCares’ Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Services Team, took part in a panel titled Sound Mind: Mental Health, Isolation, and Connection in Music. And at the 2025 Winter Music Conference, Stefanie Curtiss, MusiCares’ Managing Director of Health Services, was part of a panel titled Health on the Road: Touring and Self-Care.
Throughout the year, MusiCares hosts educational webinars covering a wide range of mental health and wellness topics, offering ongoing education and community connection for music professionals. These webinars are accessible year-round on MusiCares’ YouTube channel.
In September 2025, MusiCares offered five mental health-related webinars covering topics including suicide awareness in the music industry, the difference between mental health and mental Illness, the impact of drug use, how financial health helps mental health, and coping with loss. These webinars were possible thanks to the Country Music Association, whose Mental Health initiative has generously supported MusiCares’ expansion of mental health resources for the music community.
You can also listen to previously recorded conversations on mental health featuring MusiCares staff members here: Gone In 30 Minutes, Wolf In Tune: Music as a Bridge to Mindfulness, Positive Sobriety Podcast.
The Mental Health and Addiction Recovery team at MusiCares is committed to continuing its role as a thought leader and advocate for the mental health and well-being of music industry professionals. This passionate team believes that everyone working in music deserves access to the right tools, resources and support to lead healthy, balanced lives on stage, behind the scenes and beyond.