Sports Performance, Athletes, and Injuries
Athletes can experience struggles with their mental health just like anyone else, but the specific challenges athletes face have their own unique issues that need to be properly addressed. High-level athletes are often held to a higher standard where they are expected to play, train, eat, and communicate in a certain way. This pressure develops into a culturally dominant mindset of “pushing through” your internal struggles instead of addressing them, causing even minor issues to eventually snowball into crises.
Injuries only add to difficulties, usually coming on without warning and having earthshattering effects on not just the athlete, but their loved ones, teammates and coaches. The unknowns of what their injury means for the future of their career present serious mental challenges alongside their physical recovery.
At THRIVE, I understand your sport is more than a game, it’s a vital part of who you are. That’s why I want to help you see that seeking support isn’t a barrier to peak performance, it’s the key to unlocking it.
The Approach
Just as you’d want physical therapy specialized for athletes, you need mental health therapy designed for athletes too. I’ll gear proven therapeutic techniques towards rebuilding your inner strength so you return with a clear mind and the skills to maintain it.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Identifying negative thoughts and reframing them with CBT is crucial to providing the relief that translates into more authentic and positive performance. CBT allows you to identify triggers as they come up and address them in real-time, preventing negative thoughts from impacting you both on and off the field.
CBT is also used when dealing with injuries to help identify the negative emotions they instill and reframe an athlete's thoughts and fears to be realistic and aligned with the next step of their career after their injury—no matter what it may be.
Strength-Based Therapy
Strength-based therapy is primarily used when rehabbing injuries, especially those that could lead to a long absence from the sport. Such injuries can impact an athlete’s sense of identity and make it harder to recognize their strengths. I’ll help you build resilience by reminding you of your strengths so you can pull from them to help work through the injury rather than focusing on its negatives.