Bridget McCarthy

Greetings, friends! Thrilled you're here. 

 

     Hi, I’m Bridget McCarthy (they/she)—a Michigan-born, Atlanta-nurtured creative. I grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan, and will always be looking for a good spot to be in water (usually after a long hike). 

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     After graduating from Hope College, I joined the team at Shakespeare Behind Bars, which would become a cornerstone experience. As an emerging classical actor, I cut my teeth touring with companies like Cincinnati Shakespeare, Pigeon Creek Shakespeare, and Atlanta Shakespeare, where I eventually put down roots. 

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     My time with SBB as well as mutual aid and community organizing eventually led me to pursue a graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, with a specialization in post-traumatic growth and expressive arts therapies through Adler Graduate School. 

 

     During this time, I helped co-found the Association of Mental Health Coordinators, working to define and support the emerging role of mental health coordinators in theater, TV, and film. 

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     In recent years, I’ve continued working at the intersection of healing and creative practice in a range of roles:

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• As Executive Director of Atlanta Artist Relief Fund, I helped transform a grassroots pandemic response into a full-scale mutual aid organization.

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• As Education and Engagement Director at Stage Door Theatre, I led youth and adult theater programming grounded in social emotional learning.

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• As Community Engagement Manager at Out of Hand Theater, I supported statewide vaccine confidence and arts-access campaigns in partnership with Georgia’s Department of Public Health.

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• Currently, I spend my day job time as an expressive arts therapist at Charlie Health, an intensive outpatient program for young adults in mental health recovery.

 

     I continue to consult with creative teams, nonprofits, and schools as an artistic facilitator, mental health coordinator and curriculum designer.​