Embleton Psychotherapy

A young woman with brown hair and earrings, smiling at the camera against a two-tone background.

I am a psychotherapist, author and mental health consultant based in London, working internationally. My clinical work draws on attachment theory, exploring the relational patterns that shape how we connect with others, how we see ourselves and how we cope in times of difficulty.

I have worked in and around the music industry for over twenty years, in recording studios, venues, festivals and on tour. This gives me a shared frame of reference with my clients. 

I am the founder of a nonprofit called the Music Industry Therapist Collective CIC (MITC) and editor and lead author of the award-winning Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual (Omnibus Press, 2023).

About the founder

Tamsin Embleton

Beyond the therapy room.

Alongside my clinical work, I contribute to public conversations about mental health in the music and creative industries through media commentary, writing and speaking engagements.

Media comment.

My work has been featured in publications including Rolling Stone, Variety, Pitchfork, Record Collector, Pollstar, TPi Magazine, SPIN, NME, DJ Mag and Clash. I have also contributed to articles in The Guardian, The i, Metro and BBC 2, BBC 6 Music and Newsbeat. I have written op-ed pieces for publications including Therapy Today, Music Business Worldwide and IQ Magazine.

Public speaking.

I am often invited to speak at conferences and events such as SXSW, GTL Sessions, Abbey Road Studios, ILMC, BBC Introducing, the Performing Arts Medicine Association (US and UK), Amsterdam Dance Event, the Great Escape, IMS Malta, BIME, Iceland Airwaves, Paris Electronica Week and the Association of British Orchestras.

Training and professional development.

I trained as a psychotherapist at the Bowlby Centre in London, an institute specialising in attachment-based psychoanalytic psychotherapy, and completed an MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy at Regent’s University, London. My work is also informed by further professional training in trauma, dissociation and emotion regulation.

Selected training includes:

  • The Bowlby Centre – Attachment-based Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy

  • Regent’s University London – MA Counselling and Psychotherapy

  • Babette Rothschild – Somatic Trauma Training

  • The Anna Freud Centre – Mentalization Based Treatment

  • The Adult Attachment Interview Institute – Adult Attachment Interview Coding

  • European Society for Trauma and Dissociation – Foundation in Trauma and Dissociation

What to expect from

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is a process of self-discovery guided by a therapist. You hold the map, and I hold the torch. Together we uncover the experiences, expectations and motivations that shape your way of being, allowing old wounds to be understood and their sting to lessen.

At its heart, therapy is not about being fixed or rescued. Often what people need most is to be witnessed: to be seen and heard just as they are.

At times we may explore the past, considering how earlier experiences influence the present. As the late, great Quincy Jones once said, “To get where you’re going, you need to know where you’ve come from.”

An empty armchair in a dense, foggy forest with lush green foliage and twisted trees.

Frequently asked questions:

  • Therapy can help when you want to make sense of things or find a space where you can share experiences or thoughts you may not feel comfortable sharing elsewhere. 

    It’s an in-depth process of understanding yourself, your values and your needs more deeply, so you can make better choices for yourself moving forward.

    You do not need to be certain what you want from therapy before you start, we can work it out together.

  • Use the contact form to arrange a 50-minute initial consultation where we can discuss what brings you to therapy, what you hope to gain from the process, your current circumstances and any relevant aspects of your personal history.

    The consultation also offers an opportunity to experience what it might be like to work together. If we both feel it is a good fit, I will send a contract and we can begin weekly sessions the following week.

    I do not charge for the initial consultation.

  • Most clients self-refer. I also receive referrals from other medical and clinical professionals such as performing arts medicine doctors, psychiatrists or psychologists. Sometimes managers, A&Rs, label execs, vocal coaches or loved ones refer a client they believe could benefit from my support.

  • Sessions usually begin with whatever feels most present in your mind. Together we figure out what it means or symbolises, and how it connects with other experiences you have had.

    Rather than following a fixed programme of exercises, attachment-based psychoanalytic psychotherapy unfolds through reflection and careful attention to what emerges between us.

    Over time, the relationship we develop becomes an important part of the work, offering an opportunity to explore patterns in how you relate to yourself and to others.

  • I am a psychotherapist who uses talking therapy to help music industry clients find language for their experiences and reflect on the emotional and relational parts of their lives. 

    I am not a music therapist. Music therapists utilise music as a method to express and represent emotional experiences, instead of using words.

  • I work with a wide range of concerns including grief and loss, trauma, fame and visibility, relationship difficulties, fertility problems, aging and coming to terms with a life-limiting disease. 

    I also work with clients who experience symptoms associated with clinical diagnoses such as bipolar disorder, borderline or emotionally unstable personality disorder, schizoaffective disorder and dissociative disorders.

  • No. It is best to speak with your GP or a private physician, who can refer you to a psychiatrist or another appropriate specialist.

  • Yes. I understand the challenges artists and music industry professionals face. I have worked in and around the industry for more than twenty years in a variety of roles (you can read more about my background here). Since becoming a psychotherapist, I have also designed and delivered specialist psychological support for tours, festivals and record labels.

    Working with someone who is already familiar with the culture, unwritten rules, dynamics and pressures of the industry can save time and help us to build a rapport.

  • Yes. I have worked with people from a range of industries including film and tv, the arts, fashion and finance.

    For some clients their work is a central focus of the therapy, while for others it sits in the background. Each person’s situation is different, and part of my role is to understand how you view and experience your world.

  • Sessions take place once or twice a week, as necessary. This creates a reliable space in your diary where we can pause and reflect together on what you are experiencing.

  • This depends on what you hope to gain from it and whether you come with a specific issue or are seeking ongoing support.

    I offer open-ended psychotherapy, meaning we continue for as long as the work feels beneficial to you.

  • If your working life involves long hours in a studio, touring, or frequent travel across time zones, we will find a suitable session time that accommodates your schedule.

  • Sessions cost £150 for 50 minutes. Sessions are billed monthly in advance and invoices are issued during the final week of each month.

  • I am not registered with insurance providers. 

  • If you miss a session due to illness, holidays or other personal reasons, the session fee is charged in full. For clients who tour or film regularly, I offer up to four weeks per year where sessions may be missed without charge, provided that at least 48 hours’ notice is given.

  • You are not charged if I cancel a session for any reason. I take ten weeks of leave per year for holidays and training and aim to give at least four weeks’ notice of planned breaks.

  • Yes. Confidentiality is a central part of how psychotherapy works and I take it very seriously. What you share remains private within the ethical and legal limits that govern psychotherapy practice.

  • I am not able to provide emergency support outside of our sessions. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis please contact an emergency service or attend your nearest hospital Accident and Emergency room.

  • Either of us may end therapy by giving four weeks’ notice. Where possible, I recommend planning an ending together so we have time to reflect on the work we have done and bring therapy to a thoughtful close.