Meet Dr. Ballou
Psychiatrist specializing in therapy for creatives
Dr. Eloise Ballou, a renowned psychiatrist, psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, and university lecturer, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her practice. With a compassionate approach, she is dedicated to providing comprehensive mental health care to her patients. Dr. Ballou's commitment to excellence and patient-centered care ensures that individuals receive the support and treatment they need to achieve optimal well-being. Whether you are seeking therapy, counseling, or psychiatric evaluation, Dr. Ballou is here to guide you on your journey to mental wellness.
Hello
Dr. Eloise Ballou is a psychiatrist specializing in therapy for creative professionals.
Dr Eloise Ballou is a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and university lecturer.
Her private practice specializes in helping musicians, producers and other film and music industry professionals, as well as creative entrepreneurs in the tech and gaming world.
She offers services in Toronto, Los Angeles and Austin, TX.
She teaches psychodynamic psychotherapy to psychiatry residents at the University of Toronto, where she holds an academic appointment as Adjunct Clinical Lecturer.
She also works as a locum physician, providing emergency and inpatient psychiatric care to remote communities in northern Ontario. She supervises medical trainees at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
She is licensed in California and Ontario (Canada).
She practices medicine in English and French.
Training:
She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Fine Art History at the University of Toronto.
She obtained her Medical Doctorate (MD) at the University of Ottawa and completed her psychiatry residency at the University of Toronto.
She is Board-Certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
My Story
My Journey from Emergency Room Psychiatrist to Therapist for Creatives
I love when people bring me their problems.
I started my career as a psychiatrist in the emergency room, where patients came to me in crisis. They had a major issue and didn't know how to fix it.
Over time, I shifted away from emergency room work because I wanted to see patients more than once. I wanted to help them in practical, concrete ways, but I also wanted to be available for them for as long as the needed my help.
One day, I offered my psychotherapy services at a songwriting retreat and from then on, I knew I had found my people.
In my work, I've learnt that:
Artists are the elite athletes of the emotional world.
As a creative, the qualities that make you successful in your work are the same qualities that make your successful in therapy. You're intelligent, curious, and highly motivated.
Creatives are complete naturals at therapy and quickly enact suggestions, leading to rapid and profound transformation.
As I grew my therapy practice, I realized that the traditional therapy model wasn't a good fit for creatives. You can't plan for weekly therapy at a set time when your schedule is always changing. Sometimes artists need to cancel at the last minute, and it isn't out of a lack of professionalism or motivation. It's the nature of the beast.
I've built the kind of flexible, adaptive support that creatives need.
As a psychiatrist with experience across the whole spectrum of care, I can help diagnose and treat mental health disorders, and offer coaching or therapy alongside medical treatment. Whatever you bring won't phase me. My practice focuses on action, another lesson from the emergency room.
Common questions I help with:
How can you reconnect with your creative self when your passion feels like a job?
Why do your creative partnerships now feel tense and unsatisfying?
How can you balance a relationship while working in such a demanding industry?
There are clear answers, unique to you.
If you're the grand piano at Carnegie Hall, I'm the tuner who helps you sound your absolute best.
Tell me what your problem is, and we'll figure out a solution.
"The object isn't to make art,
it's to be in that wonderful state
which makes art inevitable."
- Robert Henri
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.
123-456-7890