It’s Not Always Rocket Science

The work I do with athletes is not always rocket science. It’s amazing how difficult it is to get out of your own way or to see things differently or from another perspective and sometimes it just takes a little bit of awareness and some new skills.

I do not tie clients to me

I have a firm belief that I want to help clients and one of the biggest ways I can do that is to get them in, help them figure out what is going to work to help them reach their goals and get them out. I take my time to get to know clients and build relationship with them. For me this is key to having the ability to get them in and get them out. I do not cut corners and I am fully engaged in the process with a client but it is my firm belief that I need to give them tools, let them try those tools and once they are successful allow them to be successful.

Clients do come back for a tuneup or something completely different but they come back because they know that I can successfully help them maneuver through whatever is happening because I’ve helped them before.

Fear of open water

In 3 office sessions and an open water session I helped a client who had severe fear of open water swimming. She had been having anxiety attacks in the water. She had lost her confidence and was not sure she was going to be able to complete her triathlon swim but she did and did it well. Not only did she feel confident but she felt great!

A new client

I had a new client who came in last week. She was feeling really ambivalent about whether or not she should stay in her sport. She had one bad performance and after that did not want to train or compete. As it turned out the mental challenge she was having didn’t have anything to do with her ability but had everything to do with the environment in which she was training. It was a new environment and it was having a negative impact on her. After one session, she had a personal best, stated that she has been ‘flying’ around with exuberance and that it was the best $ she’d spent.

This is not always the case

This above is not always the case. I do not want to mislead you to think that after a session or two or four that everyone is fixed and on their way to a gold medal. This process really depends on many factors, including how long and how deep the challenges or issues go and whether or not it’s a new discovery.

In general how long is the process

When people come to see me they are usually motivated to make change so the process ‘generally’ takes between 4-8 sessions; but it’s not about the quantity it’s about the quality. If you want to reach your goals and improve in your sport (music, art, acting) it takes time.

Think about how long you’ve been competing and competing without mental training. 🙂 This generally puts things into perspective.

If you need support in reaching your goals, please let me know.

Have a great day!

Dr. Michelle