Heart and Mind of an Athlete
Providing therapy for motivated and ambitious individuals in Washington State and Nebraska
From one athlete to another, I see you and I get it
Internalized pressure, unrealistic expectations of yourself and others and a harsh inner critic that results in feeling isolated, overwhelmed and stuck in your head- this can be the shadow side of all the great qualities developed by sport and competition
There’s no doubt that your career in sports- no matter the level at which you competed, played a huge role in developing lifelong skills and shaping your character- some may even argue their identity. And while the perseverance, dedication and solid work ethic continues to serve you in your life in a variety of different ways, sometimes that harsh inner critic makes an appearance to remind you of your perceived shortcomings or past missteps, planting seeds of doubt in your ability to reach your goals.
The constant striving also makes it near impossible to be present enough to actually appreciate when you do reach your goals. It’s exhausting.
Your inner critic may sound something like…
“See? You’re just not good enough.”
“You ALWAYS blow it under pressure.”
“You’re not cut out for this…you should just quit.”
“You’re just not working hard enough!”
“You’re letting everyone down.”
“You can’t afford to rest. On to the next goal!”
Most of the time these harmful messages originated from a (hopefully) well-meaning parent, coach or teammate intending to motivate you with a seemingly innocent comment or feedback but overtime you have internalized this, and it tends to take on a life of its own. And while this harsh inner critic is meant to serve and motivate you in some way, and maybe at a time it did, it is no longer working for you- in fact it is actively working against you.
It’s time to take back control over your internal narrative. Say goodbye to that harsh inner critic and create a sense of safety, presence and support from within.
Together we will explore how to channel the positive qualities that made you an exceptional athlete or competitor and apply them towards whatever challenges or goals you are currently aspiring to in your life. We will also acknowledge, seek to understand and release the ties of those old, harsh narratives that threaten to sabotage your sense of peace and prevent you from living your life the way you want to.
Get back to living in your state of flow
Feelings of self-doubt, anxiety, imposter syndrome- these are all based in fear and a product of getting stuck in your head. These thoughts and feelings actually weigh you down and prevent you from reaching your potential. They prevent you from accessing and residing in your flow state, or the zone- that place where time stops and things just feel effortless and easy. This is the state in which no challenge is too big, no goal too lofty- whether in sport or ‘real life.’ From this place, the process truly is the point, and accomplishing the goal becomes the cherry on top rather than the mark of success or failure. It’s who you become in the process of the pursuit of your goals that ends up being the most satisfying, fulfilling and lasting accomplishment.
Whether you’re contemplating…..
Signing up for that new distance or event
Going after that promotion or starting that passion project
Preparing to become a parent (including but not limited to labor)
Learning how to STOP pursuing so many goals and become content in the present moment
Or ANYTHING that feels just out of reach and a little bit scary
I can support you in learning the skills to drop down from the chatter of your head and into the stillness of your heart. Tapping into your flow state, you can become fearless and confident in your abilities to navigate through any challenge.
I personally used many of these skills including EMDR and visualization techniques to prepare for my last two childbirths. I felt confident and prepared to manage whatever the situation happened to bring. Mindset work is so powerful in supporting you as you strive towards reaching your goals. ~Samantha
FAQs
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Go to the ‘Schedule Now’ page, or any of the ‘Schedule Now’ buttons. If you wish to schedule a 50min session you can do this directly by selecting ‘Schedule Now’, which will take you to my calendar and also allow you to enter in all of your insurance info (IF you wish to utilize insurance). You will have a few forms to fill out from there.
If you wish to schedule an Intensive session, please reach out either via text, phone call, email or the contact form so we can discuss what would be the best fit for you.
If you would like to call and chat a little bit about what you are looking for or have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out for a Free 15 min consult call or video.
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Yes. For 50 Minute sessions I partner with a platform called Tava Health that handles all of the billing for insurance. It varies from Washington State to Nebraska and you can view the exhaustive list after you select ‘Schedule Now’, but some include:
Aetna, Cigna, Anthem BlueCross BlueShield, Regence BlueShield of Washington Counties, UMR and United Healthcare
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Yes. You can elect to self-pay for either the 50min or intensive sessions. I can also provide you with a superbill to submit to your insurance company for partial reimbursement. You can ask your insurance company directly what your out-of-network benefits are to determine how much to expect in reimbursement.
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- Specialized training specific to the needs you are seeking rather than a generalist
-Therapists are able to spend more time on providing quality care.
-Therapists have less documentation requirements, paperwork, and insurance phone calls.
-Mental health diagnoses are not mandatory and are not submitted to your private health records.
-Increased privacy and confidentiality. Insurance can request your chart at any time.
-Increased flexibility to choose the -focus, duration, and frequency of therapy.
-Research shows that clients who pay a fee for treatment have more positive outcome