Welcome to my Web site.
Creativity Support is a personal
coaching
service for writers and visual and performing artists. I'm a writer and musician with a Ph.D. in
psychology and an extensive background in counseling and the psychology
of creativity. For many years I've been helping writers, visual
artists, musicians, and theatrical performers nurture and develop their talents,
find more direction, and achieve satisfaction, fulfillment, and success in their creative
lives. I work with people at all levels of creative development,
from those just beginning to honor their creative aspirations to those
who are working professionals.
My personal coaching
sessions focus on
the psychological aspects of a successful creative life that often are ignored or given
scant attention by schools, programs, and teachers in the arts.
How do you stay motivated, focused, and productive in the face of
doubts, disappointments, rejections, or an overabundance of choices?
How do you deal with the inner "demons," as they're often called, that
can undermine even the most talented artist by triggering
procrastination, distraction, and avoidance of risks that might lead to
your best work. Once you've produced work, how do you meet
the psychological challenges of getting it published, exhibited, or performed?
Finally, how do you create a life that's sustainable, one that lasts and balances
your need to write or make art with other needs that compete for your
time and attention?
I offer
individual coaching
sessions that are tailored to the circumstances and sensibilities of
each client. A sliding fee scale and flexible meeting schedule help make
these sessions affordable to more people.
When
several creative people seek consistent, supportive contact with
like-minded others, I can organize and facilitate a
salon
that gathers regularly. The salon can help creative people
overcome isolation, be mutually supportive in their advancement toward
individual goals, and provide a sense of community for people whose
work, aspirations, and priorities in life often go unsupported and
misunderstood by others.
I
also offer workshops and classes periodically to address
various aspects of doing creative work and living the creative life.
For
descriptions of many of these past workshops and classes, click here.
My office is located in the Noe
Valley neighborhood of San Francisco, easy to reach by public
transportation and still a relatively easy place in which to find
parking. By
looking over the rest of the site, you can get a larger sense of the kind of issues I address and help I offer.
If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.
Just give me a call.
And
here's a comment from a previous client:
"There
are those who help with their minds and those who
help with their hearts. Dr. Ressler is that rare individual who
does both simultaneously. The result was a kind of boost for my
project that I could not have previously imagined."
— Heidi-Jane, Recording Artist
For more client testimonials, click
here.
