Athletic Identity and Performance Counseling
When the cheering stops, who are you?
Beyond the Scoreboard
Being an athlete comes with unique pressures and challenges that go far beyond physical performance. Whether you're an adolescent, collegiate, professional athlete, or transitioning out of competitive sports, your relationship with your sport profoundly impacts your mental health and identity
Many athletes struggle silently with:
Performance Blocks - Freezing under pressure, inexplicable slumps, or difficulty executing skills you've mastered in practice
Identity Concerns - Defining your worth through performance outcomes or struggling to know who you are outside your sport
Mental Pressure - Pre-competition anxiety, perfectionism, or fear of letting others down
Sport Burnout - Losing passion for something that once brought joy and purpose
Transition Challenges - Navigating retirement, injuries, or moving between competitive levels
A Different Approach to Athletic Mental Health
Unlike traditional sports psychology that focuses solely on performance enhancement, our work together addresses the deeper layers of your experience as an athlete. By integrating specialized therapeutic approaches including Brainspotting and Internal Family Systems, we can resolve the underlying factors affecting both your wellbeing and performance.
This integrated approach helps athletes:
Reconnect with Joy - Rediscover the passion and love for your sport that may have been overshadowed by pressure
Build Resilience - Develop the capacity to bounce back from setbacks without shame or excessive self-criticism
Perform Under Pressure - Process and release performance blocks that have neurobiological roots
Develop a Balanced Identity - Explore who you are beyond your athletic achievements
Navigate Transitions - Find meaning and purpose during major shifts in your athletic career
What Makes Shoreline’s Approach Unique
Traditional performance coaching often focuses on techniques that work around emotional blocks. Our approach goes deeper by actually resolving the underlying issues that create those blocks in the first place.
Using Brainspotting, we can directly access and process performance blocks stored in your brain and nervous system. This powerful technique has helped countless athletes overcome specific performance issues that haven't responded to traditional coaching.
Through Internal Family Systems work, we explore the different "parts" of you that may be in conflict, like the part that loves your sport versus the part that feels crushed by expectations. This approach helps create internal harmony that translates to more consistent performance and greater wellbeing.
What Athletes Experience
Athletes who engage in this work typically report:
Performance Improvements - Greater consistency, cool-headedness under pressure, and access to their skills when it matters most
Reduced Anxiety - Less dread before competitions and fewer intrusive thoughts about performance
Emotional Freedom - Less shame and self-criticism when outcomes aren't ideal
Renewed Enjoyment - Rekindled passion and joy for their sport
Greater Perspective - A healthier relationship between athletic identity and overall sense of self
Begin Your Healing Journey
Whether you're struggling with specific performance blocks, questioning your relationship with your sport, or navigating a difficult transition, this specialized approach can help you find new freedom both on and off the field.
Contact me today to learn how we can work together to support both your athletic performance and your overall wellbeing as an athlete.
Contact us
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