597. Assessing and Treating Music Performance Anxiety w/ Dr. Dave Juncos

Click here to read the transcript Today, I’m sharing a conversation with psychologist and musician Dave Juncos to explore the nuanced world of music performance anxiety (MPA). We examined how MPA presents across cognitive, physiological, and subtle behavioral spectrums, and we dive into the underlying psychological mechanisms that perpetuate it. Dave shared insights from his research on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as an effective framework for musicians, highlighting how psychological flexibility allows performers to reconnect with artistic expression rather than engaging in subtle avoidant behaviors. We also discussed the development of the Musicians Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (MAAQ) and explored actionable strategies clinicians and educators can implement to support performing artists. - 03:58: Defining music performance anxiety through Diana Kenny’s framework and Barlow’s tripartite model - 09:37: Diagnostic considerations and classifying MPA within social anxiety disorder performance sub-types - 13:15: Identifying subtle behavioral avoidance patterns and performance rigidity in musicians - 19:28: Developing the Musicians Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (MAAQ) for domain-specific assessment - 28:25: Research findings on psychological flexibility as a predictor of performance outcomes and competition entry - 36:54: Applying Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) interventions in clinical and coaching settings - 42:46: Comparing ACT with traditional approaches like Alexander Technique and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy **Cool Things Mentioned** - Craft: the premier membership community for testing psychologists - Crafted Practice: the only in-person business retreat for testing psychologists - Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists - The Psychology of Music Performance Anxiety (Dianna Kenny): http://www.routledge.com/The-Psychology-of-Music-Performance-Anxiety/Kenny/p/book/9780199586141https://www.academia.edu/24452238/The\Psychology\of\Music\Performance\Anxiety\Phenomenology\of\music\performance\anxiety - Association for Contextual Behavioral Science: https://contextualscience.org/ - Voice Study Center: https://www.voicestudycenter.comhttps://www.voicestudycentre.com/ - ACT for Musicians: https://www.actformusicians.comwww.actformusicians.com - Musicians Acceptance and Action Questionnaire: http://actformusicians.com/maaq-questionnaire/ **Featured Resources** TherapyNotes is the leading EHR system for mental health practitioners. I’ve used TherapyNotes for over 10 years, and it just keeps getting better. Use this link and the promo code “testing” to get two free months and try it for yourself! www.therapynotes.com/testing NovoPsych brings **150+ standardized measures** into one platform. If you’re interested in high quality measures for personality, disability, ADHD or Autism, try NovoPsych with a **15-day free trial** via this link: https://novopsych.com/testingpsychologist  **The Testing Psychologist podcast is approved for CEU’s!** I’ve partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code “TTP10” for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health! !https://thetestingpsychologist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/David-Juncos.png ### About Dr. Dave Juncos David Juncos, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist, lecturer, performance coach, author, and music performance researcher based in Philadelphia, PA. He has over 20 years’ experience in treating a variety of clinical problems, including anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders. He specializes in treating music performance anxiety (MPA) and has presented internationally on his research in using ACT to treat MPA and enhance music performance. He is the primary author of ACT for Musicians: A guide for using Acceptance and Commitment Training to enhance performance, overcome performance anxiety, and improve well-being (2022), published by Universal Publishers. He is also affiliated with the Voice Study Centre, a UK-based provider of postgraduate study in Voice Pedagogy. There he lectures on MPA, ACT, achieving peak performance, and he trains clinical and non-clinical professionals in ACT to help them manage students’ MPA and other performance-related problems. **Get in touch:** - Website: www.actformusicians.com - Email: [drdavidjuncos@gmail.com](mailto:drdavidjuncos@gmail.com) - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-juncos-psy-d-b688a53b/ ### About Dr. Jeremy Sharp !http://www.thetestingpsychologist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Jeremy-Sharp-300x224.jpg I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents. As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids. **Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to join our Waitlist!** Join the Waitlist