Treating the Artist Patient

Presenters: Amy M. Rosenthal, LCSW & Alana Mendelsohn, MD

• Oct 28, 2025

• 8:00-10:00pm ET

• Location: Virtual or In Person

• Source Link: New York Psychoanalytic Society & Institute

“The “tortured artist” is a Western archetype that depicts professional artists as individuals in constant mental torment. According to this trope, poor mental health contributes to and is potentially even necessary for creative output and ambition. Although artists face mental health challenges at significantly higher rates than the general population, they have not been extensively studied or approached as a patient population with distinct risk factors or needs.

In this session, we will introduce providers to the mental health challenges artists face and how mental health treatment can support not only their personal health and wellbeing, but their creative needs as well. Building upon NYPSI’s legacy through Stephen Sondheim’s therapeutic journey with Dr. Milton Horowitz, this session demonstrates how psychoanalytic understanding can support rather than inhibit creative expression. We hope that by the end of the session, providers will obtain a deeper appreciation for the mental health needs of artists and practical skills for how to approach working with them in treatment.”