EMDR Certified
EFT Trained
Athletes, Ex-Athletes
And Other Competitors
From both personal and clinical experience, I believe that being an athlete is more than the practice of a sport or physical activity. It’s a mentality, identity and a lifestyle; all with its own subculture, implicit assumptions, strengths and pitfalls. Whether you are a currently active student-athlete, professional athlete, casual competitor or an ex-athlete or competitor of any kind, I believe that immersion into athletic endeavors is an experience which impacts the psyche in a very remarkable and often long-lasting ways.
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*It often teaches athletes to push their limits, work hard, develop perseverance when faced with challenging tasks, situations or experiences and take responsibility for their lot in life. It can also help individuals feel both physically and psychologically capable and competent. It often ingrains healthy habits such as good diet and exercise. These very important life skills can often translate to success in other life goals as well.
Unfortunately, these lessons also carry a shadow side including crippling perfectionism and difficulty feeling “productive enough”, basing self-worth on external achievement/accomplishment, body image issues, and difficulties letting go of control. Many athletes also take the logical but often ineffective strategy of pushing through pain with their psychological health. If gone unexamined, these challenges can become quite overwhelming- producing symptoms of anxiety, depression, substance use difficulties.
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Individuals who used to be athletes but have since moved on after graduating from high school, college, or have otherwise retired from their sport can also be affected by this mentality and its aforementioned problems and symptoms. This can lead to difficulty making meaning of life during and after the transition. Ex-athletes must often grapple with finding new ways of engaging with athleticism, sports, and/or an active lifestyle which still feels meaningful and fulfilling. Many such individuals find themselves in meaningful but challenging careers such as coaching, personal training/fitness, or the entertainment industry. Conversely, their path may mean letting go of athletics and find a completely new direction which gives them meaning, which involves grieving and letting go of a big part of who they were to find a new identity. Ex-athletes can also face difficulties with overtraining, unattended to injuries, and ongoing body image issues.
Athletes who compete at higher levels also often face extremely high expectations for performance from coaches, scouts, and athletic intuitions- all of whom have a strong influence on their careers. Moreover, some athletes face an extreme amount of scrutiny over social media and/or in the eye of the public Some teams also have cultures and relational dynamics which produce mental health struggles for the individuals within them.
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As a former elite high school wrestler, break dancer, skier, and currently- an avid cross fitter, I feel intimately familiar with these challenges and have wrestled with many of them myself. This leaves me uniquely capable of relating to, empathizing with, providing guidance and support to athletes encountering difficulties with mental health.