Sports Performance Therapists in Illinois

An athlete's life is different from other people. Does the stress of being an athlete sometimes makes you feel overwhelmed and alone? Are you expected to be almost perfect and fear you won't measure up and will get ridiculed? Are you afraid of not being "good enough" and coaches losing confidence in you? Does worrying about your performance leave you feeling overanxious? Do you have moments of overwhelming sadness but are afraid to let anyone know because you're an athlete and athletes can't show any signs of weakness, all the while feeling stressed out with no one to go to?

Welcome! Whether you have been in counseling before, or if this is your first time, I am glad you are here. I am a PhD student with desires to help you continue, or begin, your therapeutic journey. I work with an approach to therapy that doesn't have a "one size fits all," but is holistic, evidence-based, and inclusive. If you are ready to begin, go ahead and give me a call or send an email. I will be there to meet you halfway! We can address any issues you bring to the table and set goals together. If you have any questions along the way, I will work to provide appropriate psychoeducation, resources, and interventions.

Wanting to build confidence & resilience? Are you in college, experiencing life-transitions, or a student-athlete? Struggling with symptoms of anxiety/depression, healthy lifestyle, setting boundaries, life balance? Learn skills for all of these while being your authentic self. Learn to self-regulate and self-care. As a Licensed Counselor specialized in Sports & Performance Psych, I can help you have a more fulfilling life. I counsel using mindfulness, positive self-talk, effective communication, visualization, and emotional intelligence to name a few. Learn skills to feel happier enhance daily performance, and be more confident.

Accepting New Clients, Telehealth Appointments Only: Do you feel anxious or have doubts that hold you back from achieving more in life? Perhaps you feel like a failure for not having met high expectations, those of yourself or of others. Maybe you have met those expectations and are doing all the "right" things, but still feel unfulfilled. Or maybe you've accomplished a goal and don't know what to do next, but feel like you're supposed to figure it out quickly so you don't fall behind.

Dr. Melanie Jambrosic is a clinical and sports psychologistt at New Insights Behavioral Services. She has years of experience providing therapy and neuropsychological assessment. She also founded Sport Psych Studio, a sports psychology consulting practice, and published the "Mindfulness Journaling Workbook" to help clients improve their mental health and performance. You can find details at www.sportpsychstudio.com. As a child, Dr. Jambrosic played sports to cope with stress and bond with her family. She quickly realized that the mental side was crucial to performance and well-being.

Shaquille O'Neal says, "Dr. Lombardo is my head coach for happiness." Every truly great athlete gets coached in not only physical skills but also the mental side of their sport. Why? Because it helps take them to the next level. Whether it is improving confidence, coping with the pressures of competition, managing emotions, increasing your chance of being recruited, dealing with setbacks/errors or recovering from an injury, sports psychology can help you enhance your performance.

Sarah (she/her) is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). As a health and wellness enthusiast, Sarah harnesses her passion to help each person reach their full potential in their craft and life. Sarah works with clients with a wide variety of needs, including anxiety, life transitions, and sports performance concerns. She utilizes a non-judgmental perspective in both clinical and performance consulting. While exuding warmth and compassion, she helps clients persevere through adversities and celebrate triumphs.

I love the saying that therapy is not just "recovering from" something, but also "recovering toward" something. Maybe part of your journey is figuring out the "toward" and gaining a clearer understanding of your purpose, passion, and path. In order to gain that clarity, we often need to explore what's working, what's not working, and how to take the next step. I'm here to guide you on this journey and to co-create a map so that you can live your most meaningful life. Whether you are struggling to get a personal best on the track, overcome anxiety, manage perfectionism, or adapt to new life situations, I can help.

Offering a client-focused practice style that emphasizes the well-being and autonomy of patients in the areas of anxiety, depression and trauma. Offering Individual, group, and couples sessions, members of the BIPOC and Queer communities. Specializing in sport-focused performance interventions and life transition. As a therapist and mental health professional, I am dedicated to cultivating an inclusive and welcoming space for clients as I work with treating issues related to trauma, sports performance anxiety, crisis care, and family dysfunction that encompasses healing in the mind, body, and spirit.

My approach as a counselor is to create a comfortable, welcoming, and safe environment for every client. I have experience working with children, adolescents, and adults with a variety of diagnosis. I have worked with anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, self-esteem issues, stress, issues related to life transitions, school issues, peer relationship issues, women issues, eating disorders, body image, as well as working with couples to transform and create meaningful partnerships. Also, my background in sports and as an elite gymnastics coach allows me to connect with teens and young adult athletes about the pressures of sports.

If you’re a student, athlete, teacher, or coach, it’s very common to feel anxious, overwhelmed, and burnt out. You’re probably exhausted, and you might be finding less fulfillment in the classes, sports, or work you once enjoyed. You’re likely juggling various roles at once, putting your own needs last, and possibly turning to unhealthy ways of coping. The pressure to be perfect and to please everyone else might feel so heavy that your focus and performance are starting to slip. Maybe you realize this isn't sustainable and that something needs to change, but you feel stuck.

As a REAL sports psychologist, I have a unique practice in that I specialize in working with athletes who have the desire to take their game to the next level. Being a competitive athlete helps me relate to other competitive people in sports or business. My primary focus is on confidence building and the elimination of performance anxiety. I use a 3 tiered approach to training: Perspective Training, Mental Skills Training, and Applied Settings (if applicable at a sporting location). I am the only professional to offer that kind of travel service. We also offer Coaching Certification Programs for those who are interested in teaching.

As a therapist, I believe in the importance of a holistic, culturally sensitive, and collaborative approach to therapy. I work with individuals on areas such as trauma, life transitions, personal stressors, anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, grief, relationship issues, and sports performance.

We are accepting new clients from ages 12 to 25, and we work exclusively with teens and young adults. It takes a great deal of bravery and admirable effort to seek therapy, and we commend you for taking the first step. Our objective is to establish a safe and supportive atmosphere where clients can voice their concerns and collaborate with us to surmount life's obstacles. With proficiency in treating co-occurring disorders, anxiety, depression, sports performance, and life transitions, we are committed to equipping our clients with the tools, knowledge, and perspectives required to achieve their desired lifestyle.

It’s easy for our inner critic to increase feelings of uncertainty, fear, and disconnection from ourselves. These creeping thoughts we have can create self-doubt, mental anguish, and even impact our physical health. Our thoughts are constantly telling us stories that can be hard to believe, and we experience this spectrum of emotions that can be tricky to navigate. Rather than internalizing, reacting, or avoiding these negative thoughts and emotions, developing self-compassion and leaning into the pain of discomfort can help you to embrace all of your experiences and begin to shift your life in a way that is meaningful to you.

Therapy can be beneficial to anyone. Do you want to assess your strengths, improve mental readiness, motivate yourself, and/or get in the zone? As a deaf/hearing-impaired individual and former student-athlete, I have a passion for working with adolescents, adults, and student-athletes. My goal is to provide services to improve your psychological well-being and maximize optimal performance at school, at your job or in your sport. In the competitive arena of sports, job market, or academics, you want every advantage you can get. I can serve as a key member of your success team.

I work primarily with adolescents, young adults and adults and am passionate about working with athletes. I have experience in treating anxiety, depression, life transition concerns, stress management, relationship issues, self-esteem issues, work/life balance issues, sports performance concerns, and injury recovery/rehabilitation. I utilize an integrative approach to therapy but typically focus on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Person-Centered modalities. I tend to meet the client where they are at and work with them to create a strong rapport.

Daily stressors are inevitable, and it is essential to build coping strategies for how to manage stress and combat negative thinking patterns. Creating behavior changes is a focal point of psychotherapy and beneficial in wanting a sense of structure and consistency in one's relationships and overall life. My overall goal for each client is to work on obtaining balance within their own healthy lifestyle. Through obtaining balance one's past and present symptoms can lessen and each individual and/or couple can focus on the positive attributes of their life and move forward towards reaching their goals and the life worth living.

The couples I work with are on the brink of a change in their relationship. They seek me out to help them decide the change they want, whether that is to work on their marriage, figure out what is going on in their marriage or explore leaving their marriage. Once the couple decides on their path, then we get to work collaboratively to achieve their goals. I partner with individuals who want to solve relationship, professional, and performance problems. I collaborate to develop solutions to cope with pressures like betrayal, cheating, guilt, changing jobs, getting married, entrepreneurship, adulting, and learning skills.