Affordable Counselling for actors and acting students in Vancouver
An article by Daniel Gorodetsky
The Pressures of Performance
Pursuing acting can be exciting and rewarding, but it comes with pressures that the audience never sees. Students in Vancouver’s theatre and film programs, such as Studio 58 at Langara College, UBC Theatre, and the Vancouver Film School, or young actors starting their careers often spend long hours in rehearsal, face demanding evaluations, and live with the constant uncertainty of future work. The schedule can leave little room for rest, social life, or simply catching a breath. For many actors and actresses, it can feel like their entire lives revolve around performance, with very little space left for themselves.
These challenges can make acting both exciting and overwhelming. For many students, the pressure to perform at a high level while balancing coursework, part-time jobs, and personal commitments can take a toll on mental health. It is not unusual to feel stretched thin, running from rehearsal to class to work with little time to rest. For young actors already working in Vancouver’s theatre or film scene, the long hours, irregular pay, and constant audition cycle can be just as draining. Over time, the constant pressure can chip away at motivation and make it harder to enjoy the craft that drew them to acting in the first place.
How Counselling Helps Actors
Counselling gives acting students and actors a place to step back from the intensity of training and performance. It is a space where they can reflect on what they need and how they are coping, without judgment. Some of the most common areas where counselling can help include:
Performance anxiety: managing nerves before auditions, rehearsals, or opening nights.
Self-doubt: separating personal worth from casting decisions or critical feedback.
Stress and burnout: finding healthier ways to manage long hours and high expectations.
Focus and resilience: developing strategies to stay centred during unpredictable schedules.
Counselling is not only about managing difficulties. It can also build confidence, improve concentration, and strengthen the resilience needed to handle the ups and downs of a career in the arts.
Separating Self from Role
One of the unique challenges for actors is living so deeply inside the characters they play. This work is fulfilling, but it can also blur the line between a student’s own identity and the roles they inhabit. Over time, this can become draining.
Counselling provides a safe place to sort through these experiences, set boundaries, and create separation between self and role. This makes it easier to process emotions, prevent exhaustion, and keep creative work sustainable.
Making Counselling Accessible
Cost is often a barrier for students and people starting their careers. We are a small therapy practice based in Vancouver that specializes in offering affordable therapy options. We offer sliding scale sessions, based on your individual resources, usually ranging from $70 to $110 per session.
Counselling is available in person at our Kitsilano office or online anywhere in BC. We also provide daytime, evening, and weekend appointments to fit around classes, rehearsals, and part-time jobs. Accessibility is not just about affordability. It is about making counselling practical for the realities of an actor’s life.
Building Long-Term Resilience
For young actors, learning how to manage pressure, rejection, and uncertainty during training years helps lay a foundation for the future. These are tools that carry into auditions, performances, and the long stretches in between.
Counselling also encourages students to reflect on values, goals, and coping strategies. This broader perspective can bring clarity and balance, helping actors approach their careers with more sustainability. In this way, affordable counselling is both support in the present and an investment in the future.
About the author: Daniel Gorodetsky, BA (Hons)
Daniel Gorodetsky is a practicum student counsellor at the Vancouver Therapy Collective. Having grown up deeply involved in theatre and improvisation, Daniel knows the amount of stress that can come with auditions and consistent rejections. His approach is to work collaboratively with you to find strategies that help you take on the challenges of performance, rather than pushing difficult emotions down until they eventually explode. Create a career path that is both fulfilling and emotionally sustainable!
Our Commitment
At Vancouver Therapy Collective, we appreciate the unique challenges faced by acting students and young actors in Vancouver and across BC. Our counselling is designed to be supportive, accessible, and practical, grounded in an awareness of both the demands of performance and the realities of student life.
Whether you are preparing for auditions, pushing through a heavy rehearsal schedule, or uncertain about the next step, counselling can be a valuable resource. Our goal is to help students and young actors in Vancouver’s theatre and film community pursue their work with resilience, confidence, and well-being.
