On Tuesday, September 21, ahead of their online meeting, the Women’s Steering Committee (WSC) hosted the discussion, On-Set Wellness. The event featured 2nd AD Elaine Wood and Licensed Professional Counselor Kim Whyte, both of whom have worked on Barry Jenkins’ series, The Underground Railroad; Psychologist Lise Porter, author of the book, Own Your Life: How Our Wounds Become Our Gifts; and Mental health expert Dr. Spirit, Owner and Clinical Director of the Atlanta-based mental health group practice T2S Enterprises.
In a conversation moderated by Director/WSC Activities & Events Co-Coordinator Jodi Binstock, these industry professionals who help navigate and guide cast and crew members with emotional challenges, discussed how to maintain on-set wellness and offered tips on how to avoid burnout and handle sensitive material during this age of long hours, COVID protocols and difficult subject matters that can be emotionally and psychologically daunting.
During the conversation, they also covered topics including, dealing with microaggressions among crew members, finding the time and place to speak up for yourself, and why having a professional therapist on set is beneficial for everyone in the production.
Following the moderated portion of the conversation, the panelists fielded questions submitted by the online audience.
ABOUT THE COMMITTEE:
The Women's Steering Committee (WSC) was created to advance the professional interests of its members, and to heighten their visibility and career opportunities in the entertainment industry. The WSC currently promotes diversity through sponsoring net-working events, screenings and seminars, and fosters relationships between the members to provide support, mentoring and networking opportunities. The WSC’s current Co-Chairs are Maria Burton, Hanelle Culpepper and Liz Ryan.