Season Two: Peer Support and Professional Development Forum for Mental Health Practitioners Working with Performing Artists
The Listening Room returns for its second season as a series of 90-minute online forums dedicated to peer support and professional development for mental health practitioners (MHPs) working with performing artists. Building on the foundations of the inaugural season, the forum continues to provide a reflective, practice-oriented space for collegial exchange, exclusively for members of the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA).
The series offers a transdisciplinary platform for psychologists, psychotherapists, coaches, and other healthcare professionals engaged in performing artists’ mental health. Each session centers on an in-depth conversation with an invited guest, followed by facilitated peer dialogue. Participants are encouraged to share clinical experiences, reflect on effective practices, and contribute perspectives that support the ongoing development of professional competence and ethical practice.
The Listening Room is conceived as an intervision process—emphasizing collaborative learning and shared inquiry rather than hierarchical supervision. The forum welcomes experienced practitioners as well as advanced trainees, fostering a supportive environment oriented toward critical reflection and professional growth.
Season Two’s guest guest speakers are Dr. Alana Mendelsohn, psychiatrist and neuroscientist; Line Hilton, voice, performance, and resilience coach; and Angelica Potter, performance psychology consultant and mental performance coach, moderated by Heather O’Donnell (Psychologist, M.Sc., Artistic-Systemic Therapist, DGSF), founding director of TGR The Green Room.
Please note that all views expressed are those of the individual speakers and participants and do not represent the views of PAMA as an organization.
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Speakers
(January 13, 2026) Dr. Alana Mendelsohn
Dr. Mendelsohn is a Columbia University–trained psychiatrist and neuroscientist licensed in New York and New Jersey. She works with adults in both medication management and psychotherapy, with a clinical focus on mood and anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Her practice takes a warm, collaborative, and non-judgmental approach, developing individualized treatment plans that integrate medication and psychotherapy as appropriate. Her work draws on multiple perspectives within psychiatry, including psychodynamic therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and neuroscience, and is characterized by a direct, transparent, and empathic therapeutic style.
In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Mendelsohn completed a research fellowship at Columbia’s Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute and is currently based in London, where she leads translational research at Sania Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing precision therapeutics for the nervous system. She also has a longstanding interest in the arts and co-founded Creatives Care, a non-profit organization supporting artists in New York in accessing affordable mental health care.
(February 10, 2026) Line Hilton
Line Hilton is a highly respected voice, performance, and resilience coach working across the performing arts and professional sectors. Her work focuses on helping individuals develop confidence, performance presence, and psychological resilience in order to sustain healthy, high-level performance.
Drawing on an extensive and interdisciplinary background, Line supports professionals in navigating performance pressure, self-doubt, and mindset challenges. Her long-standing work with internationally touring recording artists and singers has given her deep insight into the psychological demands of elite performance, including performance anxiety and limiting belief patterns. Her coaching approach emphasizes aligning technical skill with mental clarity, adaptability, and self-trust.
Alongside her private practice, Line is the Founder of BAST Training, a singing teacher training programme. She is a BAPAM Educational Trainer, a multidisciplinary team member of the Voice Care Centre, an Advisor for Vocology in Practice, and a regular guest speaker and lecturer in industry and higher-education contexts on mindset, resilience, and voice care.
(March 10, 2026) Angelica Potter
Angelica Potter is a performance psychology consultant and mental performance coach specializing in the performing arts. With a professional background spanning dance, voice, and theatre, she brings over fifteen years of experience as both a performing artist and arts professional.
She began her training in ballet at an early age and later expanded into choreography, teaching, and team coaching, working with dancers for over a decade. In parallel, she pursued a career as a classically trained vocalist, performing in musicals, plays, cabarets, dance productions, and opera showcases. Her work offstage has included roles in stage management, directing, producing, company management, and arts administration, primarily within non-profit performing arts organizations.
Angelica’s work is informed by her comprehensive understanding of the artistic ecosystem and the psychological demands faced by performers. She now supports artists at all stages of their careers, helping them develop mental skills, performance readiness, and sustainable professional practices.
She is an active member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA), and the American Psychological Association (APA), with involvement in multiple special interest and professional networks related to performance, self-compassion, and the psychology of the arts.
Moderator – Heather O’Donnell
Heather O’Donnell is a psychologist (M.Sc.), certified artistic-systemic therapist (DGSF), and the founding director of TGR The Green Room. Originally trained as an internationally active concert pianist, her career shifted following injury—an experience that informs her integrative approach to therapy, education, and systems-level work.
She holds a B.Sc. in Psychology from the Free University of Berlin and an M.Sc. in Prevention and Health Psychology from SRH University. Her additional training includes certification in Musicians’ Health from the Kurt Singer Institute / University of the Arts Berlin and mindfulness teacher training (MTTC) with Christopher Titmuss and Ulla König. Her work integrates systemic therapy, artistic methods, and intercultural perspectives.
Heather works with individuals navigating illness, recovery, professional transition, and critical life turning points, and regularly advises organizations on leadership culture and systemic change. She has presented internationally at institutions including the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA), Weill Cornell Medical Center, the European Network of Cultural Centres (ENCC), On the Move, and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development.
She has served as a guest lecturer at institutions worldwide, including the New England Conservatory, Columbia University, and the Eastman School of Music, where she was also a faculty member from 2017–2019. In 2024, she was elected to the board of the European Network of Cultural Centres (ENCC), and in 2025 she joined the Music Industry Therapist Collective (MITC).
Her work bridges therapeutic depth, systemic thinking, and artistic intelligence, with a focus on sustainable health, professional development, and cultural transformation.
