Anxiety Practitioners Network Clinical Focus Seminar Mon May 26th 2025 7:00pm

‘Managing Performance Anxiety: What Can We Learn From Musicians’

Thomas Nicholl, PhD, Clinical Psychologist

Performance anxiety (PA) captures the experience of intense anxiety in preparation for/during an evaluative event. The experience is often endured despite debilitating symptoms and can result in a negative performance experience (or even performance itself). Experienced by many different types of performers, PA is particularly prevalent in musicians and research is growing to further understand how best to manage it. This seminar will explore the applicability of cognitive behavioural models to understanding the experience of PA from both a facilitative and debilitating lens, leaning on the experiences of musicians to highlight these factors.
The seminar will specifically look at:
• Defining performance anxiety
• Effective interventions for performance anxiety
• Exploring the cognitive mechanisms involved in its development and maintenance
• Performing in the absence of anxiety
• Considerations for working with musicians
• Applying knowledge to a case study

Thomas Nicholl is a clinical psychologist with a special interest in understanding and treating anxiety disorders. Thomas completed a PhD exploring performance anxiety in musicians at the University of Sydney with Professor Maree Abbott and brings both a clinical and performance lens to his work, leaning on early experiences as a musician to support his research.