Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) for Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) (3-week course)
Monday 3rd June 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
Monday 10th June 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
Monday 17th June 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
In this updated three-part course, you will learn how to detect symptoms of music performance anxiety (MPA) among your students/clients and whether those symptoms are problematic or not. You will also learn about Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), an evidence-based psychotherapy and coaching model 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 non-clinical settings 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 singing teachers with no formal training or education in psychotherapy (Shaw, Juncos & Winter, 2020; Brussel, 2022; Kutsal, 2022; Mahony, Juncos & Winter, 2022; Paul, 2022; Ballard, 2023; Heasman-Cossins, 2023; Zenobi & Juncos, 2023). 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
- MPA definition
- Detecting problematic levels of MPA using categories of MPA symptoms
- Understanding how problematic MPA develops and is maintained
Part 2: ACT Skills for Effectively Managing MPA & Increasing Artistic Presence
- Ethical issues in doing this work as a non-clinical ACT practitioner
- Mindfulness
- Acceptance
- Defusion
Part 3: ACT Skills for Taking MPA Less Personally & Enhancing Overall Performances
- Cultivating a More Flexible Sense of Self & Musician Identity
- Identifying One’s Performance or Practice Values
- Committed Action
Dr David Juncos
David Juncos, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist, lecturer, performance coach, author, and music performance researcher based in Philadelphia, PA. He has 20 years of experience in treating a variety of clinical problems, including anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders.
Sorry, this is an archived short course...
We have plenty of upcoming short courses coming soon. See details of some of them below or look at the full list of short courses.

Tuesday 5th August 2025
1:00 PM - 12:00 PM
Tuesday 12th August 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday 19th August 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday 26th August 2025
1:00 PM - 12:00 PM
Tuesday 2nd September 2025
1:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday 9th September 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday 16th September 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday 23rd September 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
(London Time)
Certificate in Acting Approaches for Singing Teachers

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Thursday 18th September 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
The Cannabis Question: What Voice Practitioners Need to Know!

Dr Dann Mitton
As cannabis use has become more common, socially accepted, and legalized, voice professionals are increasingly fielding questions about its effects. This two-hour session with Dr Dann Mitton offers a clear, research-informed overview of what we currently know about cannabis and the singing voice. The session is built around real-world questions voice teachers and singers are asking: Does smoking cannabis dry out the vocal folds? Is vaping safer than smoking? What should I know if my student uses cannabis for anxiety or pain? Could some voice types be more at risk than others?


Tuesday 23rd September 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
How to Put the Perceptible Breath at a Singer's Disposal

Tanya Aspelmeier
Join the renowned Tanya Aspelmeier in this breath-related workshop specifically designed for the singer and singing teachers. Participants will learn exercises based on Professor Ilse Middendorf's therapeutic breathing method "The Perceptible Breath". This somatic discipline trains a person’s skills of perception to learn about their individual breath, body and nervous system and how they can regulate it by harnessing their own mental powers.