Performance Psychology in Westport, CT
Performance Psychology
Develop the mental skills to thrive in situations that demand peak performance.
For individuals in high-pressure careers (medical, law, finance, etc), artists, performers, athletes, coaches, and sports teams.
Do you feel like you’re working twice as hard but still aren’t achieving your goals? Do you underperform due to a fear of failure? Are you feeling overwhelmed, unmotivated, or unfulfilled?
Whether you’re an athlete, stage performer, leader in your industry, or work in a demanding field such as medical, law, or finance, you may experience signs and symptoms of underperformance. These are natural experiences that can happen to any high achiever.
When you feel stuck in a cycle of underperformance, performance psychology therapy can help get you back on track.
As a therapist, I am highly attuned to the needs of high performers due to my experience as an athlete, elite coach, and psychologist. Together we will work to increase your psychological resiliency, discover proven methods to release stress in growth-promoting ways, and employ strategies to manage imposter syndrome.
With a focus on using your strengths to build and broaden your skills, you can attain higher levels of performance while under stress.
What is performance psychology?
Performance psychology focuses on understanding and enhancing the mental and emotional factors that influence peak performance in sports, the arts, and high-stress professions.
Using evidence-based therapies such as CBT to develop an individual’s ability to optimize their performance, maintain high levels of motivation, manage stress and anxiety, build mental resilience, and achieve their full potential in critical moments.
How is Performance Psychology Therapy different from Individual Therapy?
Performance psychology and psychotherapy both aim to improve individuals’ mental well-being and functioning.
There is likely overlap between an athlete’s performance anxiety during competition and their general disposition of being someone who experiences a higher level of anxiety at baseline, but the goals of performance psychology are different than that of psychotherapy.
Performance psychology focuses on enhancing one’s execution of a specific skill by optimizing mental toughness in specific domains such as sports, arts, or high-stress professions.
Whereas, therapy focuses on alleviating symptoms of mental health conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety), improving overall emotional and psychological well-being, resolving personal and interpersonal issues, developing coping strategies for life’s challenges, and promoting personal growth and self-understanding.
Key Components of Performance Psychology
- Mental Toughness: Developing the ability to remain focused, confident, and composed under pressure.
- Goal Setting: Creating and pursuing clear, achievable, and motivating goals.
- Focus and Concentration: Enhancing the ability to maintain attention on the task at hand and avoid distractions.
- Stress and Anxiety Management: Employing techniques to manage and reduce stress and anxiety that can hinder performance.
- Motivation: Sustaining high levels of motivation through intrinsic and extrinsic means.
- Confidence Building: Strengthening self-belief and self-efficacy to improve performance outcomes.
- Visualization and Imagery: Using mental imagery to practice and enhance skills and strategies.
- Emotional Regulation: Managing emotions to maintain optimal performance levels.
- Resilience: Building the capacity to recover quickly from setbacks and maintain performance.
Applications of Performance Psychology
- Sports: Helping athletes improve their mental game, manage competition stress, and achieve peak physical performance.
- Arts: Assisting artists in overcoming creative blocks, managing performance anxiety, and enhancing their creative process.
- High-Powered Careers: Supporting professionals in leadership roles, decision-making, stress management, and maintaining work-life balance.
Specialties
Sports Psychology
Overcoming adversity and return-to-play following injuries are major factors facing athletes throughout their career. Often the psychological trauma of sports injuries, such as “fear of failure” or “fear of re-injury,” are present long after the physical injury has healed. Through our work we will design a return-to-play program that will address the psychological obstacles preventing the athlete from performing at his or her highest level of competition.
Career Performance
We spend the majority of our time at work and much of our adult identity is tied to answer the question “what do you do?” But the answer to this question can be hard if you feel work is unfulfilling, directionless, or perhaps you feel like an “imposter.” Whether you’re looking for a new career or ways to improve your performance, we will work together to help actualize your potential.
Sports Workshops & Consultation
Sports workshops are an excellent way to reach many people on your team at once. Whether you want to improve team dynamics, increase your coaching effectiveness, develop better communication skills, or address a particular issue (i.,e, bullying, harassment, or abuse). We will work together to tailor a program that is meaningful for your organization.
Coaching Leadership for Coaches
- Struggling to motivate talented yet difficult players?
- Want to improve your leadership style?
- In a slump and want to bounce back?
- Want new ways to empower your team captains
- Improve your team’s culture?
- Looking to increase your creativity and fulfillment as a coach?
I offer a unique perspective for improving your coaching performance, having been a high performing athlete, elite coach, and psychologist. We focus on enhancing your coaching strengths so that you may reduce your blind spots.
Amateur Athlete Group Therapy
Small group therapy in a supportive environment for amateur athletes. See my group therapy page for more information.