In this 3-part course, you will learn how to detect symptoms of music performance anxiety (MPA) among your students and whether those symptoms are problematic or not.  You will also learn about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an evidence-based psychotherapy that aims to promote mindfulness and acceptance of one’s MPA symptoms, while also enhancing performance skills by increasing actions consistent with a musician’s values.  ACT can be used in a non-clinical setting by practitioners other than psychotherapists, and when applied non-clinically it is called Acceptance and Commitment Training or Coaching.  Newer research suggests ACT coaching may be a promising intervention for treating MPA by music teachers with no formal training or education in psychotherapy.  You will learn ACT techniques that are safe for use in non-clinical settings to help your students effectively manage their MPA.

Part 1: Defining and Detecting Problematic Levels of MPA

February 23, 2021 — 5-7pm (UK time)

• MPA definition
• MPA’s four symptom categories
• Detecting problematic levels of MPA

Part 2: ACT Skills for Effectively Managing MPA & Increasing Artistic Presence

February 25, 2021 — 5-7pm (UK time)

• Mindfulness
• Acceptance
• Defusion

Part 3: ACT Skills for Taking MPA Less Personally & Enhancing Overall Performances

March 2, 2021 — 5-7pm (UK time)

• Cultivating a More Flexible Sense of Self & Musician Identity
• Identifying One’s Performance or Practice Values
• Committed Action

David Juncos, PsyD is a clinical psychologist and performance coach with Hornstein, Platt & Associates, Counseling and Wellness Centers, in Philadelphia, PA.  He earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from La Salle University in 2015.  He has over 15 years’ experience in treating a variety of clinical problems, including anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders.  He specializes in the treatment of music performance anxiety (MPA) and has presented internationally on his research in using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to treat MPA and enhance music performance.  He also is on faculty with the Voice Workshop, where he provides lectures and tutorials on MPA and quantitative research, and he trains music teachers in a non-clinical version of ACT to help them manage students’ MPA.  His forthcoming book, ACT for Musicians: Enhancing Performance with Acceptance and Commitment Training, is due out in June, 2021 with Compton Publishing.  In it, he and co-author Elvire de Paiva e Pona, MA, provide readers with numerous ACT-based techniques for help in managing MPA, enhancing performance, and addressing other common problems facing musicians, such as chronic pain, injury recovery, perfectionism, procrastination, shame, occupational burnout and career uncertainty.  For a preview of his book, please visit Compton’s site:

http://www.comptonpublishing.co.uk/ACT-for-Musicians.php.