Combining her passion for circus with her academic background, aerialist and writer Fleur Van Rens, Ph.D., set out to help performers and companies take charge of their mental health. Learn more about the Circus Psychology: An Applied Guide to Thriving Under the Big Top author and her journey here.

Van Rens, seen above, has long loved training and performing within the circus industry. Now she’s ready to use her psychological knowledge to train circus educators about better mental health practices. At 12 years old, Fleur Van Rens’ parents took her to the library to satisfy her newfound desire to learn trampoline tricks. L...