Therapy for Athletes
Mental Health Support
Mental health is an essential component of an athlete’s well-being. The pressure to perform, training demands, or the pursuit of peak athletic condition can feel overwhelming and impact mental health. Additionally, athletes can commonly experience mental health concerns that can hinder their performance and ability to balance commitments and relationships in their lives. Some of the mental health challenges athletes may face are stress, anxiety, depression, sense of identity, trauma, eating disorders, relationship issues, and substance use among others. Many sports can carry a heighted focus on physical form that can contribute to increased body image concerns, dieting behaviors, or disordered eating. Also, dealing with injuries, experiencing physical pain, or coping with high levels of stress can result in athletes turning to substance use.
Therapy provides a space to address these challenges, develop coping strategies, and build resilience. Together, we will work to foster a deeper understanding of yourself both inside and outside of your sport so you can feel equipped to manage any stressors in life.
Sports Performance
No matter how physically prepared an athlete may be, the mental aspect of sports performance cannot be dismissed. As an athlete, you are operating under intense pressure, dealing with both external and self-imposed expectations. Performing up to your potential requires a skillset grounded in confidence, emotional regulation, motivation, and internal resourcefulness.
Therapy can help you identify barriers and challenges you experience in your athletic performance and improve your mental and emotional resiliency. Together, we will maximize your strengths and develop skills that will allow you to thrive in your sport and other high pressure environments.
Identity
It is common for athletes to center their sense of identity around their sport. This can provide a great sense of purpose while also bring numerous challenges when performing outside of expectations, not meeting performance goals, experiencing setbacks, dealing with injuries, navigating transitions within athletic careers, and facing retirement. These experiences can rattle an athlete’s self-worth, create a sense of loss and uncertainty, and lead to a lack of purpose.
Therapy can help you navigate these transitions and expand your sense of self beyond sport. Together, we will process the complexities of an identity tied to sport and work towards fostering a more holistic sense of self that includes but is not solely defined by athletic achievements.