Sport Psychology, Parent Coaching, Life Coaching

In addition to psychotherapy and testing, I also offer coaching services.  Coaching is different than therapy.  In life coaching, the professional relationship focuses on helping the client achieve personal and/or professional goals.  People who would benefit from coaching are not suffering from any mental illness, such as clinical depression or anxiety, but worry that their growth in their professional or personal life is not being maximized.  People who seek coaching often feel stuck in their job, their marriage, or other relationships.  They may feel that they are not parenting the way they want to.

Being coached by a psychologist has its advantages.  Psychologists are trained in child and human development so we have great insight into how people think, feel, and behave.  In addition, we can diagnose mental disorders such as anxiety and depression which need to be treated with psychotherapy and/or medication before coaching will be effective.

 Sport Psychology

Sport Psychology is a branch of psychology that helps athletes reach their potential in their sport.  Athletic performance depends not only on physical skills but mental skills as well.  Parents often spend thousands of dollars each year on coaches, clinics, and equipment to help their children succeed athletically, not to mention the hundreds of hours devoted each year.  When athletes have the physical skills to perform but end up not achieving their best performances in competition, working harder is usually what they try to do.  But working harder will not help them overcome their obstacles, because the problem is generally not with the skills, but with the mental aspect of the sport.  Coaches, of course, can help with the mental aspect.  But when the athlete has listened and tried all the suggestions of his or her coaches and he or she is still struggling, a sport psychologist can help.

A sport psychologist helps an athlete identify and overcome obstacles to his or her best performance.  A sport psychologist helps an athlete do this in several ways.  Strategies include building confidence, reducing anxiety, and improving visualization.  Athletes may need help to develop more effective communication skills with coaches or teammates.  There are many different ways that a psychologist helps an athlete reach his or her potential.

Psychologists are educated and trained in human behavior.  They are behavior experts.  So although coaches may be the experts in particular sports and parents know their children better than anyone, a psychologist can fill gaps in knowledge and experience.  Sport psychologists apply this experience to the unique needs of athletes to help them improve their performance. Sport psychologists are able to diagnose and treat problems like anxiety and depression which interfere with athletic performance.  In addition, they understand how people think and can help athletes identify and correct self-defeating thoughts that undermine confidence and performance. Sport psychologists can also help athletes change they way they perceive and react to failure.

I work with athletes participating in both individual and team sports.  While the underlying tenets are similar, each kind of sport has distinctive characteristics.  I have or am currently working with athletes competing in the following sports at the middle school, high school, travel, college, and national levels: Swimming, Diving, Figure Skating, Gymnastics, Basketball, Volleyball, Tennis, Football, and Golf.

Parent Coaching

Parent Coaching is a wonderful resource for mothers and fathers who are trying to do their best job.  There are many books available on parenting, but most books are general and work with the "average" child.  In parent coaching I help parents discover and overcome the obstacles interfering with the parent/child relationship.  As a psychologist, I am able to assess the emotional health of both parent and child and design interventions specific for each family unit.  This technique gives each family a unique coaching experience, instead of a generic, one-size-fits-all approach.

Challenges that parents find parent coaching helpful for include:

behavior issues, such as defiance or stubborness
sibling rivalry, or adjustment to a new sibling
discipline challenges (e.g., "Help, I'm yelling too much at my kids!)             understanding a child's emotional development
educational questions (what's the best learning environment for my child)

Life Coaching

Life Coaching addresses the professional and relationship areas of a person's life.  Life Coaching is designed to help people achieve their goals by understanding what motivates, what hinders, and what affects the choices they make in their professional and personal lives.  If you feel stuck or confused about where you are in your job or in your relationships, life coaching may be what you need to get your life back on track.

Individuals who can benefit from life coaching may be successful in their professional life, but feel unfulfilled.  They may be considering a career change but are not sure if it's the right thing to do.  Or they may have questions about where they want to go in their personal lives.  Perhaps they are not enjoying life the way  they want to.

As a life coach, I can help individuals move forward in their lives.  I can help you develop the plan, the confidence, and the motivation to take the necessary steps to reach your goals.