Performance Enhancement and Sports Psychology

In the Performance Enhancement Program you will learn a wide variety of skills, including:

• managing slumps and setbacks
• coping effectively with failure
• increasing frustration and disappointment tolerance
• dealing effectively with negative self-talk
• improving attentional focusing and refocusing skills
• improving emotion regulation in practice and performance
• improving the athlete’s/performer’s “coachability”
• decision-making skills related to retirement or “quitting”
• transitioning out of performing/competition
• nurturing self-esteem, self-confidence and self-care
• narrowing the practice-performance gap: performing how you practice
• positive imagery and relaxation
• anxiety management for competition, performance and auditions
• injury stress management

Skills are taught using a variety of behavioral, cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness strategies and are designed around how humans learn—and unlearn—all aimed to boost resilience and performance.

These skills transcend sport and performance and are applicable across many different areas of life—be it school, work, relationships or how you feel and think about yourself.

We begin with a free initial phone call to determine whether you’re seeking to proactively participate in this program or because you’re experiencing a particular problem or stuck point. We’ll also discuss what you hope to accomplish, and appropriate next steps.

Performance enhancement program sessions may be in person, by telephone, or by video, depending on your circumstances and what we decide. The first session is a comprehensive assessment of your strengths and weaknesses as they relate to your performance, factors which affect your performance and any difficulties that you are having in practice and performance and their aftermath.

At the end of the assessment, I will make a recommendation about a plan that best meets your needs.

The performance enhancement program is NOT therapy. If you have a psychological or mental health issue which requires assessment and or treatment, I can provide that service or refer you to an alternative provider. I treat many athletes/performers who have mental health problems (depression, anxiety, eating disorders, etc.) and for many of those clients, performance enhancement goals are incorporated into their overall therapeutic treatment plan when appropriate.

For information about fees, please call Dr. Phelps at 218.606.1844.

Your medical insurance only covers services that it deems medically necessary to treat physical or mental health problems. Performance enhancement services typically do not qualify for insurance reimbursement.