danscend advisory board member

Scheherazade (Scher) Collins

Scheherazade (Scher) Collins, MA, MPhil, LMFT,  began her ballet training at three-years-old in Stamford, Connecticut. At age nine, she was accepted into School of American Ballet, where she trained and performed with New York City Ballet in children’s roles. At sixteen, she was invited to the trainee program at The Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet, and in 1999 she joined Orlando Ballet where she continued dancing until she retired in 2003.

Scher received a BA in Theater from University of Miami, followed by a Masters in Psychology from University of Cambridge, UK. Her own experiences and struggles in ballet led her to recognize a significant lack of mental health care professionals who understood the unique culture of the highly competitive art form. This realization motivated her to further her education by completing a Masters Degree in Sport Psychology and a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy. She obtained a license to treat mental health disorders while also specializing in addressing the specific challenges faced by individuals involved in competitive sports and performing arts.

Scher opened her private practice in Santa Monica in 2012 where she works with peak performers and any individual who is struggling with their performance in various parts of their lives. Scher combines biofeedback training with mental skills training, and psychotherapy in order to provide an integrated approach that treats the whole person.

Beyond working with individuals in her practice, Scher is also passionate about educating the performing arts community on ways to support their dancers’ mental health and development.
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