Teaching with Insight: Becoming a Mental Health-Informed Teacher, Featuring Psychotherapist and Vocal Coach, Petra Borzynski

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What does it mean to be a mental-health informed teacher? How do we navigate the inner critique with our students? 

In this episode, Petra Rosinski, a vocal, somatic, and cognitive behavioral coach, brings her unique expertise to the conversation, blending her background in singing, teaching, and therapeutic practices. She dives into the critical topic of performance anxiety, exploring how it affects singers and offering practical strategies to manage it. Petra emphasizes that anxiety in performers isn’t one-size-fits-all; it can manifest physically, cognitively, and behaviorally. Understanding these different forms is essential in supporting students to perform confidently.

Petra introduces the idea that, as teachers, we should normalize performance nerves while distinguishing them from true performance anxiety. She discusses a balanced approach that combines “top-down” cognitive methods with “bottom-up” body-centered techniques to address anxiety from multiple angles. By fostering a safe environment, students can explore their feelings and sensations without judgment. This allows them to build resilience, face their fears head-on, and develop a healthier relationship with performance, ultimately leading to more confident singing and enjoyment of their craft.

About Petra

Petra Borzynski is a vocal, somatic and cognitive behavioural coach and accredited therapist with special expertise in helping (performing) artists and creatives to perform better and despite their fears.

She currently runs a busy private studio/practice, is one of the Solo Performance Specialists (Voice) for the University of the Highlands and Islands and also regularly works with corporate clients (e.g. Google), helping performers and speakers all over the world sustain a (singing) career and find professional and personal fulfilment.

Petra’s work in the field of singing, creativity, performance anxiety, performance psychology and mental health for performing artists has been featured at conferences, in several publications and podcasts. One of her main areas of expertise is the education of other voice professionals in mental health and trauma awareness in their studios, organisations and institutions.

Petra’s vision is access to continuous mental health support for every performer, and that looking after our mental and emotional health becomes preventative instead of curative.

Where you can find Petra Borzynski:

On Singing Sense

On Facebook

On Instagram

On Youtube

On LinkedIn

On Twitter 

Learn more about Vielka at www.vielka.com and follow us at @voicewithvielka.

Graphic Design by Jeff Yas
Podcast Music by Andrew Markus