Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony.
Hi Anthony, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
As a child, I was introduced to the performing arts and entertainment industry and had a dream of becoming an actor. I spent some of my childhood and teen years in acting classes in Los Angeles and eventually got into theatre with my neighbors, who were directors and producers in regional theatre throughout Southern California. Having started to embody characters, I became curious about human behavior and took my first AP Psychology class in my senior year of high school and was fascinated by what I learned.
I went on to attend the University of California, Irvine for my undergraduate studies, where I studied Music Theatre at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts. During my time there, I dove deeper into my studies as an actor and singer, and also began my career as a vocal coach — helping many of my peers prepare for roles and successfully book projects both at UCI and professionally. I had several mentors who not only helped me become a better performer but also guided me to connect more deeply to my authenticity and sense of self. One of the most transformative moments of my undergraduate career that impacts my work as a therapist and coach today, was being introduced to Fitzmaurice Voicework, which significantly impacted my singing and gave me tools to manage stress as both a performer and a person — similar to mechanisms I would later encounter in TRE (Trauma and Tension Release), which I now use in my psychotherapy work. While I pursued my Bachelor’s in Drama with an emphasis in Music Theatre at UCI, I considered double majoring in psychology due to my continued interest in human behavior but ultimately decided I would potentially revisit this later and focus on my career as a performer. After my time at UCI, I moved to Los Angeles and began working professionally in the entertainment industry as an actor and singer, eventually earning my professional union memberships with SAG-AFTRA and AEA.
As I began my performance career, I performed in an original Off-Broadway musical, appeared in national commercials, and was cast alongside celebrities in projects both on stage and on screen. As I became more immersed in the business, I was fortunate to be mentored by a casting director and talent manager, which opened doors to other areas of the entertainment business as I grew increasingly interested in both casting and talent management. Around this time, my private voice studio also began to thrive as I grew to two locations in Los Angeles and Orange County. I was recognized by Backstage Magazine in their article “8 Great Vocal Coaches to Know in NYC and LA,” and later featured by VoyageLA in “Meet Anthony Fontana of AMF Peak Performance in NoHo Arts District and Orange County.” I began working more extensively with performers, helping them prepare for auditions and roles across stage and screen. My approach was deeply influenced by my mentors, focusing not just on technical aspects of performance but on helping performers access their inner truth and create characters from an inside-out approach.
As I continued working in entertainment, I became a talent manager and worked my way up in casting from assistant to associate to casting director. I found myself craving deeper personal work and decided to continue my studies at the Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown Studio’s two-year Meisner conservatory program. That training transformed my work as a performer and helped me find a level of truth and presence that took my work to the next level, in addition to being introduced to Somatic Experiencing techniques as I dove deeper into my studies of Fitzmaurice Voicework.
I eventually branched out into music direction and production for both stage and screen. My private voice studio, AMF Peak Performance, continued to grow, expanding to serve clients in both Los Angeles and Orange County, as well as internationally including students in Japan and abroad. As I evolved as a coach, I began integrating all of my previous experience to support performers from a more holistic perspective that addressed the work from all angles. After all, many of my own voice and acting lessons with my mentors already felt therapeutic in nature and felt they often acted as life coaches and therapists, giving me guidance within my own life both personally and professionally.
In 2019, after facing some personal challenges, I discovered therapy and yoga, both of which profoundly changed my life. I began my journey as a yoga teacher and went on to teach at Life Time, CorePower Yoga, YogaSix, YNG Studios, Melt, Devi Rebel, and Surf & Sand Resort. I earned my E-RYT 500 and became a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider. Through yoga, I met others in the wellness space, including psychotherapists, and felt called to expand on the work I was already doing by formally entering the field of therapy and deepening my education to make a bigger impact in the lives of others, as I already found myself in many ways guiding others in personal struggles and professional ones such as the careers of performers I worked with as a vocal coach and talent manager.
In 2022, I took a break from the entertainment industry to pursue my graduate studies at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology, where I earned my Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. After graduating, I set out to integrate what I had learned in grad school with the many facets of my entertainment career to help people in the entertainment industry and beyond on a deeper level.
Since then, I’ve worked as a psychotherapist with Shanti Orange County, Oak Health Center, and the Center for Mental Health Excellence. I now specialize as a psychotherapist working with entertainment industry professionals — including actors, singers, producers, directors, casting professionals, and talent reps — as well as with LGBTQ+, business executives, and people from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life and careers. During my clinical internship as a therapist, in addition to learning how to work in traditional psychotherapeutic approaches and evidence-based therapies, I pursued additional certifications to become a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), a TRE (Tension and Trauma Release) Provider, certified Peak Performance Coach through Prolific Personal Development focusing on holistic life coaching, and a yoga therapist through Breathing Deeply Yoga.
Today, I blend traditional psychotherapy with somatic therapeutic and mindfulness approaches, specializing in working with entertainment industry professionals as well as individuals, couples, and families from all walks of life and backgrounds. I love that I get to bring together everything I’ve learned — from the arts, wellness, and clinical psychology — to help people heal, grow, and reconnect with their most authentic selves. Whether the work is about breaking through creative blocks, navigating relationships and careers, moving through personal trauma, or simply navigating how to build a life that aligns with their preferred identity and future, I’m honored to support people in stepping into the most aligned version of who they are and working toward living the life they truly imagine — both within their career and personal lives.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. It’s been more of a winding one with a lot of twists, pivots, and unexpected turns. Like many pursuing a career as a performer, I had to juggle multiple jobs just to afford the opportunity to audition. There were times when I was working early mornings and late nights, holding down three to four jobs in different capacities that had nothing to do with my work in the entertainment industry, all while trying to find space in between to pursue what I loved as a performer, coach, and eventually, psychotherapist. That hustle taught me resilience, but it also took a toll on me. I struggled with anxiety and depression at various points in my journey, especially during periods when I felt disconnected from my purpose or unsure of where I was heading and which direction to focus on as I was gaining success in multiple areas of my profession and personal life.
Before I became a therapist, I worked in a variety of roles outside the entertainment industry to support my career path. These included jobs as a server and bartender, studio management positions with CorePower Yoga and Z-Ultimate Self Defense Studios, and Guest Relations at the Disneyland Resort, where I had the honor of representing the Walt Disney Company as a tour guide and customer service specialist. Each of these roles gave me insight into people, service, and human connection. Even though they weren’t always aligned with my long-term goals, they added depth to how I understand others and meet them where they are. It gave me the understanding that no matter our role or background, as human beings we all go through the same things.
When I decided to go back to school to become a therapist, it wasn’t an easy choice. I was stepping away from a career I had built over many years, one that I had poured my heart into; I ultimately knew it would help me better support others once I returned to the work after grad school, both as a peak performance coach and in my new role as a psychotherapist. Graduate school at Pepperdine was challenging and intense, but also incredibly rewarding. It pushed me to grow not just professionally, but personally as we were tasked with facing ourselves on a deeper level and working through our own obstacles to help us be better as a clinician helping others along their journey.
Looking back, every experience — whether in a casting room, a yoga studio, or the guest services department at Disneyland — has shaped how I show up in the therapy room. I don’t just approach this work as a clinician. I come in with real-world experience, having walked through struggles myself. I believe that’s what allows me to connect so deeply with my clients. I understand what it means to navigate uncertainty, to feel stretched thin, to work through personal traumas, and to still hold onto the hope of something more.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As I build Surfside Therapy, at the heart of my work is helping people feel more attuned, grounded, and embodied in their authenticity. I specialize in supporting entertainment industry professionals, as well as individuals, couples, families, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. I also frequently work with yoga teachers, wellness professionals, business executives, and high-performing creatives who are seeking holistic and integrative care.
My approach blends traditional psychotherapy with somatic and mindfulness-based modalities, including Somatic Experiencing (SE), TRE (Tension and Trauma Release), Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping), and yoga therapy. Whether someone is navigating creative blocks, relationship struggles, trauma, or stress, I tailor our work based on who is sitting in front of me and what they need. I believe the person is the person, and the problem is the problem — meaning I look at each person I work with as a whole and meet them where they are.
I currently practice as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (#152824) and Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (#18616) under the supervision of Dr. Veronica Viesca, PhD / LMFT (#80308) at the Center for Mental Health Excellence working with clients across California, Washington, and Texas.
I feel one of the most important qualities in my work is my ability to create a grounded, collaborative space where clients feel truly seen and empowered to transform into their most authentic selves. My clients appreciate that I bring warmth, directness, and a nonjudgmental lens into the room. I don’t believe in a one size fits all approach and work in an integrative and eclectic way drawing from multiple tools to support healing, clarity, and growth — emotionally, creatively, and somatically.
One of the things I’m most proud of is being able to bring all of my life experiences together, from the arts to wellness to clinical psychology, into a practice that helps people live more fully and authentically. Dr. Viesca and I recently spoke at a Lululemon wellness event on blending somatic and mindfulness practices with psychotherapy, which reflects the heart of my work: whole-person healing through nervous system attunement, curiosity, and conscious connection.
What sets me apart is my ability to hold both the clinical and the creative. I understand what it means to navigate high-pressure environments, manage performance anxiety, or feel disconnected from yourself while trying to show up in your work or relationships on a personal level. My goal is always to walk alongside my clients offering insight, tools, and support as they move toward the life they truly envision for themselves.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
One thing I always remind people is that healing isn’t linear, and growth doesn’t have to be dramatic to be meaningful. Whether you’re an entertainment industry professional navigating pressures in whatever aspect of the business you work in, a couple looking to reconnect, or someone simply trying to feel more like yourself again — you’re not alone, and you don’t have to do it all perfectly. Sometimes the most powerful shifts come from slowing down, getting curious, and learning how to sit with what’s true for you in your body and heart space. You are exactly where you are meant to be right now. Sometimes where we want to be and where we’re meant to be don’t always align, but the more we can connect deeply to our authentic selves, the path unfolds as it’s meant to. I’m grateful I get to walk alongside clients on that journey, providing clarity and guidance along the way.
I believe we’re all creative beings, whether or not we identify as artists. We all carry stories, patterns, and possibilities — and ultimately, we are the authors of our own stories. The beautiful thing is, you can always rewrite your story to make it what you want. Therapy can be a space to unpack those stories, reconnect with your voice, and choose how you want to live moving forward. My hope is that more people start to view therapy not as a last resort, but as an act of self-investment, self-inquiry, and self-connection.
If my story resonates with you, I encourage you to stay open to the idea that you’re allowed to evolve and that your healing, creativity, and purpose don’t have to exist in separate lanes. You’re allowed to bring all of who you are into the room. That’s the work I’m most passionate about holding space for.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.surfsidetherapy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/surfsidetherapy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/surfsidetherapy
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@surfsidetherapy
Image Credit:
Mark Sutton
