mind: how to master your career through psychology with rosana corbacho
Navigating a career within the music industry is not only filled with endless excitement but unwavering uncertainty. Many musicians are focused and driven with a clear end game and vision of where they want to be, alongside that, many are creatively open and deeply sensitive. Standing solo on a stage in front of ten thousand people can become normal but the pressure to deal with that level of performance and expectation can be extremely overwhelming. There’s not only dealing with nerves before the show but coming back down to reality after it. The music world has lost some incredibly talented musicians in recent times and the conversation around mental health and wellbeing has never been so important. Collectively we need to do more. Individually we need to do more.
Meet Rosana Corbacho. A qualified Music Industry Psychologist who heads up MI Therapy, an organisation aiming to raise awareness of mental health in the music industry through specialised treatment, workshops, conferences and panels. After working within the music world for over ten years, Rosana worked in various areas of the business before deciding to train in clinical psychology and humanistic psychopedagogy. Her mission is to contribute to the scientific field in mental health treatment of artists as well as prevention with a clinical and humanistic psychology approach.
Having worked in the music industry in labels, events and booking agencies, what made you decide to transition in to psychology?
I have always been interested in psychology and I found out through working in the music industry that I was naturally focusing on how people lived their different roles. I started asking myself, what is it about this industry that make us so passionate about our jobs and involves so much suffering at the same time? Some of my artist friends were suffering from anxiety linked to physical symptoms (tinnitus, insomnia, etc). Others had creative blocks or were fearful of their future even though they were established artists from a very young age. Some brand new signed artists already seemed too demanding with the label or their booking agencies. I was surprised by the unhappiness I witnessed by a few of them who had “made it”.
Working at festivals I was always interested in how the artists were living the pre-post show or at what stage they were in their careers. I was never impressed by how famous they were but how they handled all that pressure. I decided to study psychology because I thought the music world could be improved with science. I wanted to help bring art into this world and help musicians create longer and more balanced careers. This decision brought up a few years of juggling my studies with hectic work. My books have travelled with me around the world and even though some were really heavy, I feel this has given me a vast experience researching in the field.
What exactly is it that you do and how do you help musicians especially?
I’m a clinical and humanistic psychologist. That means I help people who already have mental health issues and also others who want to improve different areas in their personal or professional life. Musicians benefit massively from therapy. I work specifically with anxiety and performance anxiety issues. I also work with some classical musicians in changing their practice techniques in order to prevent injuries. My sessions with DJs often include depression, anxiety or treating impostor syndrome.
I also help many preparing for big tours or shows. I feel really grateful to be able to have a session with them when they are at the hotel before a big concert we have been working towards. Overall, I help musicians to find a better work life balance through understanding how their brain reacts to different triggers. Depending on their background and personal situation, we work on their goals and aspirations.
““What is it about this industry that make us so passionate about our jobs and involves so much suffering at the same time?””
Much of the music and events industries are currently at a standstill with many of us at home faced with a lot of uncertainty. What advice can you give to anyone who may be in isolation and struggling?
The music industry has always had that feeling of uncertainty. This can be the cause of many issues related to mental health and wellbeing. This situation adds a lot more pressure to it. My advice would be to focus on the present moment and plan what you are going to do that day. It’s also very useful to observe your reaction to uncertainty in your thoughts, your feelings or your body. This can bring back a feeling of control and help you to stay present.
Ideally, I would suggest seeking specialist help. It’s a good time to start therapy or to increase sessions if you are already in the process. I have been doing some online workshops and participants saw the benefits on their routines by learning just a few tools and connecting with a group. I noticed how the impact of isolation and uncertainty was much lower with the patients who were already in a therapeutic process.
The mental health conversation has been at the forefront of the music world over the last twelve months but the underlying issues have been around for a lot longer. What changes would you like to see when our industry is allowed to go back to work?
I think it would benefit everyone to have more balance as to where their main income is coming from. The whole industry could benefit from a rise in streaming revenues and to lower the number of shows per year. That means more time in the studio and less on the road.
I think this can also mean an opening for the local scene. On a mental health basis,I would like to see more empathy and increased capacity to set up healthy boundaries. It would be amazing to have more connections and less competition. Joining forces and helping each other will be key to surviving difficult times and to gain stability. I would also like to have a directory with specialists on mental and physical health in the music industry to feature workshops and training for treatment and prevention.
For many of us, we decide to seek help when things get really tough. What preventative measures could we introduce in to our lives each day to ensure that we stay on top of our mental wellbeing?
There are plenty of tutorials online and it might seem common sense but prevention is key in order to avoid more serious issues that can lead to a lot of suffering and even stopping your career.
I would say start with self-knowledge, by yourself or with professional help. Also connecting socially and prioritising meaningful relationships. Doing some exercise daily helps to have better health and improve your mood. Another key is to have connections and activities outside of the music industry. Meditation and yoga practice is linked to creativity and it helps on many different levels. Getting enough sleep should also be top of our priority list. It’s important to take days off and properly disconnect, we are more productive if we do so. It’s about learning how to create healthy boundaries.
For anybody who has never seen a psychologist before, how can it help?
It can help to know yourself better and to adjust some automatic reactions for better ones. It can change what makes you suffer or help you to achieve your goals and aspirations. It will bring a healthier work-life balance and it will enhance relationships with not only yourself but with others and your environment.
What does a session involve?
On the first session, you define your goals and aspirations. One single session will start with the client talking about what they want to work on. After reflecting back, depending on each person and session, I apply some techniques adapting to which state on the treatment plan we are at. It’s difficult to say what has to be done exactly because everyone is different.
If someone is depressed I can focus on activation through easy exercises between sessions. The goal will be to increase positive feelings, self esteem, etc. Another patient may be stressed and suffering from burnout, then the goal would be for them to stop, relax, disconnect and let go of the need to control. Patients and sessions are all different from each other. The key is to apply science and be flexible and understanding in order to find the perfect approach for each situation. The bottom line will be to improve capacity and self esteem by helping patients to get to know their strengths and giving them tools for what they find difficult to handle.
connect with rosana and find out more…
visit her website: mi-therapy.net
follow her on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m.i.therapy/
email her & find out more: rosana@mi-therapy.net
