Ballet, burnout, and the hidden mental health battles of a top performer. In this powerful conversation, Sara Mearns — principal ballerina at New York City Ballet — opens up about her journey through a breakdown, therapy, and rediscovering joy in dance.

Hear her unfiltered story about pressure, resilience, and the healing power of vulnerability.

Ask Kati Anything ep. 279 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction: Meet Sara Mearns

01:05 – Why ballet feels new every day

03:40 – The pressure of never feeling “good enough”

04:42 – Mental Health Coalition & Covid struggles

07:12 – The breaking point: burnout and depression

12:14 – Rediscovering balance through therapy

17:14 – The role of storytelling and books like The Midnight Library https://amzn.to/3HRAhsM

22:12 – The intimacy of dance partnerships

30:47 – When the audience goes silent: the ultimate performance high

35:17 – Deciding to become a professional ballerina at 12

39:01 – Why therapy should be part of training for all athletes

45:20 – The small shifts therapy creates over time

50:07 – How going public with her burnout helped others

53:58 – The future of ballet and mental health advocacy

Follow along with Sara

https://www.instagram.com/saramearns

https://www.nycballet.com/

My new book is available for pre-order!

Why Do I Keep Doing This? → https://geni.us/XoyLSQ

If you’ve ever felt stuck, this book is for you. I’d be so grateful for your support.

SPONSORS:

To support this podcast, please check out

https://www.oneskin.co - use the code KATI for 15% OFF

https://www.betterhelp.com/katipod - (enjoy 10% off your first month)

MY BOOKS

Traumatized   https://geni.us/Bfak0j  

Are u ok?    https://geni.us/sva4iUY 

PARTNERSHIPS

Nick Freeman |  [email protected]

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