Depth Psychotherapy for Athletes

People who are athletes seek mastery of their chosen sport. This pursuit can be a central organizing principle in one’s life. Athletics can be rewarding and productive, but it can also be a useful distraction to avoid facing the challenging parts of one's life. 

When sport no longer plays the same role in it once did, there is a bereavement process when the physical, emotional, and psychological demands that once regularly faced the person are no longer present. When one's performance declines or expectations become a burden, it may be helpful to begin to explore what is occurring at a deeper level. 

My clients are people who happen to be athletes. Though it can feel like one's sole identity, being an athlete is only one part of a person's life. My work with athletes explores the inner experience of the athlete and uncovering the athlete's unconscious, deep motivations, wounds, and experiences. The work we do together is simple, but not always easy. We'll meet the challenging but valuable phenomena as it is without judgement. This process of discovery allows an individual to tend to their soul.

People who are athletes seek mastery of their chosen sport. This pursuit can be a central organizing principle in one’s life. Athletics can be rewarding and productive, but it can also be a useful distraction to avoid facing the challenging parts of one's life. 

When sport no longer plays the same role in it once did, there is a bereavement process when the physical, emotional, and psychological demands that once regularly faced the person are no longer present. When one's performance declines or expectations become a burden, it may be helpful to begin to explore what is occurring at a deeper level. 

My clients are people who happen to be athletes. Though it can feel like one's sole identity, being an athlete is only one part of a person's life. My work with athletes explores the inner experience of the athlete and uncovering the athlete's unconscious, deep motivations, wounds, and experiences. The work we do together is simple, but not always easy. We'll meet the challenging but valuable phenomena as it is without judgement. This process of discovery allows an individual to tend to their soul.

Modern day sport psychology focuses on optimizing and improving performance by teaching skills that help maintain focus, improve self-talk, and strengthen one's self-regulation. Where sport psychology can fall short is in the development of a strong, robust, sense of self. 

Where sport psychology is limited, Depth Psychology can allow for the development of an authentic, grounded, deep sense of self. This occurs through a wholly unique process, individual to each client.
 

As an individual's foundational self is revealed, the athlete has the grounding to step onto the field with a firm grasp that the outcome of the event is not a referendum on one's value. The gold of one's life is in how they approach competition and who they are at the deepest level. 

Competing with freedom and strength of spirit becomes the clinical aim. It is not unusual that with this new openness, performance typically improves.