Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (STPP) for a Severely Performance Anxious Musician: A Case Report
Abstract
Most people experience performance anxiety (PA) at some time in a range of diverse endeavours. However, for those in careers related to the performing arts (music, theatre and dance), public speaking, or sport, it can be a career-limiting or career-ending experience. Little attention has been paid to performance anxiety, empirically, diagnostically, or therapeutically. This paper contributes to the theory proposed by Kenny that the underlying psychopathology of severe performance anxiety is an attachment rupture in early life that is unresponsive to cognitive behavioural therapies. Accordingly, a short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) whose therapeutic focus is the resolution of attachment ruptures was undertaken with a young female musician who was in danger of failing her final year at a prestigious music school because she could no longer perform without breaking down. This paper describes the application of the triangle of conflict and the triangle of time/person in the resolution of the attachment ruptures of the three key attachment figures in the life of this young musician. This paper represents only the second detailed case report on the treatment of debilitating music performance anxiety using STPP. Given the successful outcome of both case reports, further investigation of this therapeutic approach for severe performance anxiety is warranted.
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Psycho-dynamically oriented therapy has shown promise in treating more severe forms of MPA.
“Psycho-dynamically oriented therapy has also shown promise in treating more severe forms of MPA (Kenny et al., 2014, 2016; Kenny and Holmes, 2015; Kenny, 2016).”
From Acceptance and commitment therapy for the treatment of music performance anxiety: A pilot study with student vocalists (2017) · cites this paper as Kenny, 2016
ISTDP shows promise in treating more severe forms of MPA with accompanying panic and depression.
“whereas intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy (ISTDP) shows promise in treating more severe forms of MPA with accompanying panic and depression (Kenny et al., 2014, 2016; Kenny, 2016).”
From Piloting a New Model for Treating Music Performance Anxiety: Training a Singing Teacher to Use Acceptance and Commitment Coaching With a Student (2020) · cites this paper as Kenny, 2016
Cites
Brown, T. A., Campbell, L. A., Lehman, C. L., Grisham, J. R., & Mancill, R. B. (2001) · Journal of Abnormal Psychology · doi:10.1037//0021-843x.110.4.585 · Cited by 1,562 · see citing works
Social fears and social phobia in the USA: results from the National Comorbidity survey replication
Ruscio, A. M., Brown, T. A., Chiu, W. T., Sareen, J., Stein, M. B., & Kessler, R. C. (2008) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291707001699 · Cited by 835 · see citing works
The Psychology of Music Performance Anxiety
Kenny, D. (2011) · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199586141.001.0001 · Cited by 525 · see citing works
Self-citationKenny, D., Driscoll, T., & Ackermann, B. (2014) · Psychology of Music · doi:10.1177/0305735612463950 · Cited by 309 · see citing works
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Juncos, D. G., Heinrichs, G. A., Towle, P., Duffy, K., Grand, S. M., Morgan, M. C., Smith, J. D., & Kalkus, E. (2017) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00986 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Shaw, T. A., Juncos, D. G., & Winter, D. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00882 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
“, 2019), whereas intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy (ISTDP) shows promise in treating more severe forms of MPA with accompanying panic and depression (Kenny et al., 2014, 2016; Kenny, 2016).”
BackgroundClarke, L. K., Osborne, M. S., & Baranoff, J. A. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01127 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Kinney, C., Saville, P., Heiderscheit, A., & Himmerich, H. (2025) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs15020138 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
“Kenny (2011, 2016) has proposed three possible subtypes of MPA that explain qualitative differences in presentation and severity: (i) situational performance anxiety tied to high-pressure performance contexts, such as auditions or solo recitals, without extending to other contexts; (ii) performance…”
Juncos, D. G., & de Paiva e Pona, E. (2018) · Music & Science · doi:10.1177/2059204317748807 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
“Psychodynamically oriented therapy has shown promise with more severe forms of MPA with accompanying depression (Kenny, 2016; Kenny, Arthey, & Abbass, 2014, 2016; Kenny & Holmes, 2015).”
BackgroundKenny, D. T., Arthey, S., & Abbass, A. (2016) · SpringerPlus · doi:10.1186/s40064-016-3268-0 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Racial imposter syndrome and music performance anxiety: A case study.
Fraser, T. (2025) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs15081057 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Chełkowska-Zacharewicz, M., & Baran, L. (2023) · Musicae Scientiae · doi:10.1177/10298649231179430 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
- Authors
- Kenny, D. T.
- Corresponding author
- Kenny, Dianna T
- ORCID
- Kenny, Dianna T
- Venue
- Journal of Psychology & Psychotherapy
- Publisher
- OMICS Publishing Group
- Published
- 2016
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 3
- ISSN
- 2161-0487 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2472574088
- Cited by
- 18
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 5
- FWCI
- 2.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Psychology & Psychotherapy (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Music Therapy and Health
- Keywords
- performance anxiety, music performance anxiety, short-term dynamic psychotherapy, attachment figures, music students
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