Counseling for Athletes
You step out ready to compete knowing that you have spent so long preparing for this moment. You know your family and friends are in the stands rooting for you. In fact, you feel excited thinking about the possibilities. The excitement begins to shift into nerves, and you notice that your heart is racing before you’ve even started competing. You notice yourself picturing the last open goal you missed. Then, the last time an opponent ran past you. And, the last thing coach yelled at you in training.
Why Do Athletes Come into Sports Counseling in Madison, WI!
Athletes face unique stressors due to the pressures placed on them. This includes an increase in workload and the changes they have to make to their lifestyle in order to be ready for competition. We have recently seen more and more athletes speaking out about the impact of their sport. Plus all of the things that come with it, on their athlete mental health. Simone Biles has been a very public and recent example of an athlete who has been transparent about her mental health experiences. Given the link between athlete mental health and physical health, it is important that athletes address the unique stressors they may face.
Reasons Individuals Come into Counseling for Athletes in Madison, WI
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Interpersonal difficulties with coaches or teammates
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Anxiety or stress in relation to workload, including courses, practices, and games or competitions
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Grief or depression related to injuries
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Identity concerns in relation to transitioning out of one’s sport
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Performance anxiety.
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Gender norms and pressures
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Stigma about athlete mental health concerns in competitive environments
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Self-criticism
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Body image pressures and concerns
Addressing Athlete Mental Health with a Sports Psychologist Can Help Your Performance!
These concerns can greatly impact performance, and lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, and
isolation. However, sports counseling can be very helpful in lessening the impact of these concerns. Plus, this can help athletes achieve the level of performance they want to see in themselves. Our sports psychologist uses many therapeutic approaches when working with athletes.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness therapy in Madison, WI can be used to help you “get in the zone” and shift attention away from things that may be distracting your performance. This includes critiques from your coach,
thoughts about schoolwork, and past performances. It can also be used to help with
visualization. This is where you learn to picture yourself performing a certain routine, scoring
the free-kick you have been working on in practice, or running your fastest race time.
Additionally, practicing mindfulness can also be helpful in regulating your emotions. This means reducing how you react to heckling, opponents who are tackling too roughly, or other experiences that may bring up difficult emotions while you are competing.
Self-Compassion-Based Approaches
Athletes can struggle with self-criticism. Sports psychologists know effective self-talk has been shown to be associated with improved athletic performance. Thus, working on increasing self-compassion to reduce the impact of self-criticism that can help. You will begin to focus on less than ideal performance, comparison to other athletes, or a critical coach, and help improve
performance.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT therapy in Madison, WI can help an athlete get in touch with their values, increase psychological flexibility, and decrease the impact of anxiety. Many times, anxiety can get in the way of living a life that is in line with what we value. Through ACT therapy, athletes can become more in touch with the values they have in their life and in their sport. Plus, we can develop ways of living more in line with these values. It can help build mindfulness strategies, reduce how much we
believe and are driven by our critical self-talk, and accept difficult experiences that can
impact performance.
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Start Focusing on Athlete Mental Health with Counseling for Athletes in Madison, WI Today!
Athletes are taught to be tough and suck it up, but this can be detrimental to athlete mental health. It's time to put your wellness first. Our sports psychologist in Madison, WI can help you become more in tune with performance, resilience, mental toughness, trauma, and more. If you believe this can serve you, then try sports counseling with use soon. Additionally, we offer therapy anywhere in the state via online therapy in Wisconsin. To get started, just follow these simple steps:
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Call our office at 608-571-0558 or e-mail us to make an appointment
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Talk with our Client Care Coordinator to find the best sports psychologist for you
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Begin addressing your athlete's mental health and beginning achieving your goals.
More Mental Health Services at Golden Vibes Counseling Center
At our Madison, WI therapy clinic, we understand that not everyone has the same needs. That's why we offer a wide range of services geared at helping your and your unique needs. In our counseling office, we offer effective online counseling in Wisconsin. We are truly ready to meet you where you are at. Our skilled therapists can help you using a variety of approaches including CBT, EMDR, and Brainspotting. These methods can help with sexual assault recovery, depression treatment, anxiety therapy, OCD treatment, therapy for children, PTSD treatment and trauma therapy, college students, exposure therapy, ART therapy, reproductive or maternal mental health, multicultural counseling, and more. We also specialize in LGBTQAI+ counseling and poly-affirming therapies and can assist with gender-affirming care. We are committed to helping empower all people’s wellness journeys through access to reliable, unbiased, and non-pathologizing mental health treatment, we look forward to meeting you as an individual. Call and get paired with the right therapist when you're ready.