Even After Therapy and Hypnosis: Singing Still Filled Her with Anxiety
- Gökçe Kutsal
- 9 hours ago
- 5 min read
* This story is shared with care. To respect the client’s privacy, some details have been changed. The essence of their experience and the outcomes remain true.
A 33-year-old professional singer, had been captivating audiences with her soulful renditions of pop, R&B, funk, disco, and Motown classics for over a decade.
With a background in acting and a schedule that saw her performing up to 80 gigs a year, she was no stranger to the spotlight.
But behind her dynamic performances was a persistent struggle…
Music performance anxiety that had been affecting her for many years.
The Hidden Struggle
Despite her experience and undeniable talent, she often felt disconnected from her voice.
Some days, her anxiety showed up physically — tightness in the throat, sweaty palms, racing heart…
Other times, it felt like her voice belonged to someone else entirely, creating a disorienting, almost out-of-body sensation.
Her inner critic was relentless, especially during live performances.
And even when things seemed to be improving, the sense of insecurity lingered.
She yearned to feel more grounded and free in her voice — not just technically proficient, but emotionally present and expressive.
What Hadn’t Worked — and What Briefly Did
She had already explored hypnotherapy, which offered short-term relief.
And cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which helped her stay present rather than ruminate on the past or worry about the future.
These helped to a degree…
But didn’t fully address the depth of her experience as they didn't provide her with concrete tools to tackle the nerves on the spot.
A Safe Space for Self-Discovery
When we began our work together, I was immediately struck by her intelligence, resourcefulness, and deep love for music.
As a singer and vocal coach myself, I offer clients the option to sing or play during our sessions if they feel comfortable — so we can test tools and techniques in real time, creating more immediate and embodied progress.
When she sang during one of our early sessions, I could see her eyes glaze over, her attention pulling inward…
Every tiny imperfection sparked a visible wave of self-judgment.
It was heartbreaking — because her voice was beautiful, and her acting background made her an expressive, captivating performer.
She just didn’t feel that freedom when others were listening.
The Turning Point
Our work focused on redefining her relationship with performance.
Instead of obsessing over “getting it right,” we anchored into intention:
“What do I want to express through this song? ”
That simple yet powerful shift made a profound difference.
By leaning into her storytelling skills, she stopped focusing on perceived mistakes and started connecting to her message.
This not only helped reduce anxiety…
It brought more authenticity and power to her performances.
She also learned mindfulness tools to create distance from her inner critic, without trying to silence or suppress it.
Tailoring the Tools: Mindfulness That Fits the Stage
Interestingly, she discovered that traditional mindfulness practices — like closing her eyes — didn’t work well for her.
So, we adapted.
Together, we explored open-eyed, performance-friendly mindfulness exercises that mirrored the experience of being on stage.
She found these tools grounding, practical, and surprisingly impactful.
She also appreciated having guided mindfulness recordings in my voice, which built on the connection and trust we had developed during sessions.
As someone familiar with hypnosis and therapeutic recordings, this continuity helped her integrate the tools more effectively into her life.
A Real-World Test
One of the most powerful moments came during a gig where an audience member rudely told her:
“We don’t need you here. The guitarist sings well enough.”
(Can you believe the audacity??)
In the past, this would have derailed her completely (and understandably so!)…
But now, she had tools.
She refocused on her intention, finished the set with conviction, and reclaimed her power — not by denying the sting of the comment, but by choosing where to place her attention.
That moment alone spoke volumes about how far she had come.
The Transformation: Confidence, Presence, and Joy
By the end of our time together, she described a profound shift in her experience as a performer:
“I’ve been able to get through the majority of my gigs without any worries. If I do feel anxious, I recover quicker. I’m not concentrating on the bad parts anymore. It’s a predominantly positive outlook, and I’m not as anxious going into gigs either. That’s a really good thing for me.”
Isn't that what we all dream of?
But this huge shift wasn't just her subjective experience...
(Spoiler alert: Incoming geekiness!)
Measurable Impact: Real Progress You Can See
This singer was actually a participant in my final MA project on coaching for music performance anxiety…
So we had a chance to track her journey in a really detailed way using questionnaires, self-assessments, and feedback from a panel of industry professionals.
These tools gave us a clear picture of just how much things shifted — not only in how she felt inside, but in how she performed.
Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (KMPAI)
This scale measures how much anxiety a performer experiences around music and performing.
After the threshold of 105, performance anxiety is said to be problematic...
At the start of our coaching, her score was 152 (which is well above the threshold of 105 for problematic anxiety).
After six sessions, that score dropped to 83 — already a huge achievement to end up below the problematic music performance anxiety threshold!
But here’s the part that really excited both of us:
Three months later, without any additional sessions, her score dropped even further to 59.
That’s a 61% decrease from where she started...
In other words, her anxiety wasn’t just reduced for the duration of our work — it kept improving as she applied what she learned.
Experiential Shame Scale (ESS)
This one measures how much shame someone feels about having anxiety.
At the beginning, she scored 5.6 — so on top of the anxiety, there was a lot of judgment and self-blame around it.
By the end of our work, that score had dropped to 2.4.
So this shift was about more than just managing nerves.
It reflected a growing acceptance of herself as a performer — which allowed her to step on stage with way more freedom and way less inner conflict.
Judging Panel Feedback: Beyond Just Feeling Better
To see how these internal changes translated into real-world performance, we also had an 8-person panel of experienced music professionals rate her singing before and after coaching.
They scored her on everything from technical ability to emotional impact...
For the detail oriented ones, here are average scores for each category out of 10:
Before coaching | After coaching | |
Pitch | 6.88 | 7.75 |
Timing | 7.75 | 8.25 |
Control | 6.88 | 8.13 |
Musicality & Expression | 7.13 | 8.25 |
Character & Conviction | 5.50 | 7.75 |
Confidence & Presence | 6.00 | 7.88 |
Yes, every single category improved...
And the biggest jumps were in confidence & presence, control, character & conviction.
One Juror Even Said:
“For this wonderful singer — great improvement on storytelling and stage presence. My score would have been 10 if the energy and presence were kept more in the rests and interludes. But I was really pleased to see such an improvement with the feeling during the singing.”
That kind of feedback is music to my ears…
Not just because of the numbers, but because it shows the emotional connection was finally coming through.
That’s the heart of what this work is all about.
In this amazing singer's own words:
Gökçe helped me step out of my comfort zone and improve as a performer. She explains everything clearly, really listened to my needs and wants as a singer, and my performance nerves depleted as the weeks went on. I wish the programme didn't have to end as it has changed me for the better.
Working with her was such a privilege, and her transformation proves what’s possible when you combine the right tools with a safe space to grow.
She continues to work as a successful professional singer and actor, bringing not just her voice, but her full presence to the stage...
And I’m truly excited to see where her voice takes her next.
