My mission is to help you live your best life by breaking through barriers holding you back from reaching your goals or the next level of success...
Many people want to reach big goals, but don't have the mental blueprint to get there...
Growing up as a competitive equestrian athlete, I remember being told “have fun,” “be positive.” At the time, I didn’t understand the power of those simple instructions. I have since learned…mindset and how we choose to react to situations is the foundation for success in sports, performance, and life.
I know what it’s like to be a serious competitor. My passion to help others led to a career as a psychologist, and 4 years serving as an active duty military psychologist & officer in the U.S. Air Force.
Our ability to be successful in sport, or any venture in life, is directly connected to our mental blueprint.
My Story
As an equestrian show jumper, riding horses came easily to me. I was fortunate to have a natural riding ability, and the opportunity to work with top trainers in the industry. However, despite these factors, I struggled with performance anxiety and confidence at competitions. I noticed a pattern of riding confidently when there was less pressure and expectations were neutral. However, when the pressure increased, so did my anxiety. The hardest part was not knowing what to do about it to get my confidence back.
I was impressed by riders who seemed highly confident and consistently successful at competitions. It made me wonder about what I was doing wrong and how could I possibly improve. These questions started my journey into the field of sport psychology.
I started riding at age 9, when I had my first riding lesson as a birthday gift. At the time, my family had no idea what we were getting into, but they quickly learned horses were my passion. I spent every possible moment at the barn doing anything I could to learn about horses. Grooming, riding, cleaning tack, mucking stalls, and anything possible to be around horses and learn.
My passion and interest led to competing at horse shows, and eventually getting my own horse to compete with. As a beginner with no expectations, riding and competing was fun and led to early success. I advanced quickly, but over time, something changed.
I noticed feeling more nervous and my riding became less consistent. I was not riding as well in competitions as I did at home during lessons.
I remember competing at my first “big show,” the Devon Horse Show, at age 13. Saying I was nervous is an understatement. I was so nervous, I had difficulty concentrating on my trainer’s instructions and could not remember the courses.
As the years progressed, and I started coaching, I noticed a similar pattern with other riders. Some of the most talented riders would perform well in low pressure situations, only to fall apart the moment they entered the in-gate at a show.
Once again, I would ask myself, “Why is this happening and how can I help with overcoming that struggle?”
Realizing talent or ability in sport was not the only factor for success as an athlete, I became interested in sport psychology. I knew firsthand how my mind and thoughts could make (or break) my sport performance.
In my quest to understand the mental factors for success, I started my journey into the field of psychology. I was eager to understand the mind-body connection, and more importantly, the underlying factors contributing to our behavior.
I wanted to understand why we do what we do and how we can change so I could help athletes reach their full potential and consistently achieve their sport and performance goals with success.
Over the course of the last 17+ years, I have dedicated myself to training and work in the field of psychology and sport psychology. My work is grounded in being a psychologist first, and I specialize in working with athletes and performers.
The Vision
How much of your sport involves mental skills and ability?
Athletes who answer this question when asked typically say, “At least 70-90% of my sport is mental.” However, when asked how much time they put into practicing mental skills each week, athletes often say “None!”
If mental skills are so important, why aren’t we putting more time into learning and practicing them?
In my approach as a sport psychologist, my goal is to treat the whole person, and increase awareness about mental skills and how to apply these skills in sports and other performance situations. I hope to educate athletes and performers about mental skills and the mind-body connection.
To accomplish these goals, I connect with athletes worldwide. I have specialized in tele-therapy since 2015 and offer appointments using secure video-conference technology. The power of tele-therapy is allowing athletes better access to sport psychology services.
This forward-thinking treatment platform extends my reach to athletes as a sport psychologist, allowing more accessibility and flexibility in scheduling.
How I Help People Today
As a sport psychologist I work with athletes and performers (children, adolescents, and adults) of all levels ranging across youth sport, collegiate, Olympic, and professional sports. My goal is to understand each athlete’s unique challenges to help them better understand why they do what they do, and how to make adaptive changes to reach their goals.
We use this insight to collaboratively create an individualized mental plan where time is spent learning specific mental skills. This mental plan is ultimately integrated into their sport. Armed with effective mental skills, athletes are better equipped to reach their performance goals when it counts!
Seeking sport psychology or counseling services is an investment of time and finances, but in the big picture it is a valuable commitment with proven results.
Plus, mental skills can be used life long!
My practice is based in Washington, DC, and Virginia, however, I work with athletes and individuals nationwide. I am a licensed psychologist in VA, DC, MD, TX, FL, and CO.
Many athletes I work with have busy travel schedules, which prompted me to find a more flexible, yet still effective, way to support them.
Tele-therapy is widely used today by many medical providers and psychologists, allowing individuals the convenience to access services wherever they are.