I am a professional musician, composer and engineer. After attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA from 2001-2005, I have composed numerous pieces of music for film and television, and toured internationally as a performing pianist. I have been a client of Dr. Patrick Gannon’s for more than six years.
Despite receiving a first-rate education at Berklee and studying under some truly outstanding composers and pianists, my capacity for success was limited by crippling performance anxiety and an inability to remain focused during my practice sessions. I came to see Dr. Patrick Gannon based on a colleague referral in the hopes that some of his progressive work in the field of performance optimization would help. Essentially, I would suffer overwhelming anxiety before and during actual performances, thus nullifying any preparation and earning me the title of a “choke artist”. This was, of course, devastating to my reputation and career.
Dr. Gannon’s unique and innovative approach integrates traditional psychotherapy, behavior modification and emerging brain-based techniques to create a powerful system for eliminating performance anxiety. After a few weeks of working with Dr. Patrick, we were able to successfully isolate the cause of the anxieties, develop techniques to manage them and modify my practice regimen for greater efficiency. I started to feel as if I had a “tactical advantage” out on stage, and that our work was giving me a professional “edge”.
After one year of Dr. Gannon’s program, I am completely free of performance-related stress
On a personal note, I found Dr. Gannon to be empathetic, understanding and patient. Performance issues for musicians can be emotionally devastating, but Dr. Gannon’s professional acumen and skill created a safe environment for change. Furthermore, Dr. Gannon’s understanding of the arts and the “creative process” make him uniquely qualified to deal with members of the performing arts community. His program is also effective for athletes, public speaking, or any other field that has a narrow margin for error.
I highly recommend Dr. Patrick Gannon’s program. It is comprehensive, powerful and very effective. Before my work with Dr. Gannon, my anxiety would dominate the stage and I never got to experience the fulfillment of a great performance. Now, I’m proud to say I’m working more than ever, and enjoying the all the professional and personal success.