Psychotherapy for Athletes

Whether you're a college athlete, professional competitor, or play in a recreational league on the weekends, the mental side of sports matters. Being an athlete often comes with a specific lived experience and mentality that often only other athletes can understand. For those that have played since a young age, being an athlete has informed the way that you think, even your personality, in a way that translates to how you approach other areas of life like school and work.

Sports psychology can help athletes all levels build mental skills, confidence, emotional regulation and resilience that serve you both within and outside of your sport. While it can sometimes focus on peak performance training, our Sports Psychology program often supports athletes who are suddenly faced with injury, are transitioning to life after (or outside of) sport, and other transitions such as adjusting to life as a new D3 or D1 athlete and beyond.

We also work with athletes who experience anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD and other mental health symptoms that interfere either with their game or show up elsewhere in relationships, school, and life.

Led by Brie Scolaro, LCSW, Director of Sports Psychology and a former collegiate ice hockey goalie with over 30 years of athletic experience, our program focuses on using therapy approaches that athletes respond best to:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and other behavioral treatments. Athletes respond well to these therapies because they are structured, short-term (8-12 sessions), focused on building skills, and require practice to see results. Just like our sport!
• Biofeedback, a cutting-edge technology that can be used in-office and remotely to help athletes achieve peak performance, build focus and regulate emotions. This is a series of skills that can be used before, during and after games and that you will take with you long after the therapy process ends.
• Stress Management and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) to manage anxiety, stress, depression and other mental health symptoms that show up for the athletes we work with.
• Weekly coaching for accountability, mindset shifts, and game prep, such as for college students navigating D1 and D3 challenges or anyone looking to advance their game. Weekly coaching can also be helpful for athletes that no longer play, but that respond well to a coaching dynamic when it comes to advancing in school or work.