Athletes
Mental Health Support for Athletes
As an Athletic Mental Health Counselor or Performance Consultant, I have the honor of addressing the unique mental health and relationship challenges athletes face (such as performance anxiety, family pressures, team dynamics, or retirement identity crises).
As athletes, we spend hours training specific muscle groups to reach peak performance. But the organ in charge of all of it is THE BRAIN. It deserves the same care and intention, so that it helps you perform at your best instead of getting in the way on the field. That's where Athlete Mental Health Consulting can help. Think of me as a different kind of coach: a consultant who helps you break through mental barriers so you can get back to enjoying the beautiful game, or whatever sport you choose to compete in.
Expectations of performance and of your body, Anxiety builds. Pressure mounts. When drive becomes tied to worth, and rest starts to feel like failure. Find peace again.
What Athletes Bring to the Table
Performance Anxiety
The nerves before competition that follow you home afterward, the replaying of every mistake, and the fear of letting people down.
Under Pressure
Parent/Family Expectations and Pressure, Social Media, Comparison, Competing, and Managing Burnout.
Team Dynamics
Navigating difficult teammates, coaches, playing time, and everything that happens on or off the field.
Navigating Injury or a Crisis
And not losing your mind over your spot, role, or playing time on the team.
Retirement and Identity
When the sport ends, by choice or not, the question of who you are without it can hit hard.
Body and Food
Expectations of your body can turn into restriction, bingeing, or a daily battle with the mirror. I work from the Intuitive Eating Model.
Brief, Solution Focused, and Efficient
Athletes are driven, outcome seeking, and don't necessarily want to talk for weeks or months on end. You came here to work on the issue, fix the problem hindering you, get back on the field and get results. Seriously, I get it. And I'm here to help you do just that.
Only if you really want, because I am a licensed therapist, we can work on performance and on what sits underneath it, like anxiety, depression, trauma, perfectionism, or relationship strain, in the same place. But again, only if that's what you want. Since so much of what an athlete carries comes from relationships, whether teammates or the competition, as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist I can also help you look at the issue through a systemic lens: the parental pressure, the coach with the blind spot, the personalities of the teammates around you, partners or friends who don't get it, your faith, and more.
About the Athlete Me
Soccer is my first love
I have adored soccer since I was 5 years old: rec, club, high school varsity, the University of Texas college club team (with 2 semifinal national championship appearances), and adult coed rec with a team of all ex-D1 college soccer players. I still play in an over-40 league now, and I have scored 1 to 3 goals in 35 of my last 36 games and counting. And I am an obsessive Lionel Messi fan. He is undoubtedly the GOAT.
Fun fact: I have juggled the ball 2,121 times without dropping it. People ask all the time how long that took. I didn't set a timer, but it was somewhere between 35 and 45 minutes.
Ultimate Frisbee, my second love
I started at 26 years old. I have been to the National Club Championships 3 times and the Masters National Championships (one gold medal and one silver medal), and the World Masters Club Championships (one bronze medal and one silver medal). I have also won a gold medal at the National USA Goaltimate Championships.
Other interesting facts
- I have competed in an Olympic distance triathlon and a sprint triathlon, and I have run one marathon and two half marathons.
- When I was 8 years old, I was one of 2 girls in a roller hockey league, and I was the second leading scorer in the entire league.
- When I was 8 years old, my parents put me in a golf summer program. After winning gold in the 5 to 8 year old division, they moved me up to the 9 to 12 year old division and I took second as an 8 year old.
- I also love golf, skiing, hiking, sand volleyball, trail running, pickleball, and swimming.
- I grew up with Texas Rangers season tickets and knew an absurd amount of silly stats about the whole roster. I saw Kenny Rogers' perfect game live.
- I love watching gymnastics and dance, and football is a guilty pleasure. I will never let my children play football.
Consultation and Coaching for Athletes in All 50 States and Globally
If an Athlete wants to see me for Athletic Mental Health Coaching and Mentoring, and NOT FOR THERAPY, I am pleased to announce that I can ethically work with athletes across the globe. Look forward to working with you!
How We Can Meet
In person at my Austin office, outdoors on a walk-and-talk session, or by telehealth anywhere in Texas.
Request a Free Consultation