EMDR Intensives for Athletes, Coaches and Leaders

03/31/2026

A few times a year, I like to share what I’ve been reading—because what we take in shapes how we show up.

Here’s what’s been on my stack lately:

• Mentality Wins — practical tools and concepts shared in a reader-friendly way, with engaging stories and actionable steps for athletes.

• What’s Really Important — brings in real-world coaching perspectives. I really appreciate the values-driven approach and the question it raises: what is the cost of greatness?

• The Development of the Unconscious Mind — deepening my understanding of interpersonal neurobiology, especially the importance of right-hemisphere functioning in a left-brain dominant world.

• You Are the One You’ve Been Waiting For — a meaningful introduction to parts work (IFS) in relationships. I love the concept of the “relationship trailhead.”

• Strong Ground — research and insight on what courageous, collaborative leadership looks like.

• EMDR Toolbox — a foundational resource for understanding the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, with practical tools and case examples.

These books continue to shape how I think, how I write, and how I show up in my clinical work—especially in supporting athletes and high performers in more integrated, trauma-informed ways.

I always appreciate learning from others—what have you been reading lately that’s impacted you?

I’m also sharing more in-depth reflections on Substack: The Regulated Athlete
https://open.substack.com/pub/regulatedathlete

03/27/2026

Last week I shared about completing my IFS Level 1 training—six months of learning, practicing, and really investing in a modality that’s changed how I understand people and performance.

One of the things I love most about this work is how much it just makes sense.

Most of us can relate to having different “parts” inside of us.

I often describe it as a team within us.

There’s the driven part that pushes.
The inner critic that keeps us sharp.
The part that wants connection.
The part that protects when things feel overwhelming.

And just like any team… some parts take on bigger roles—especially under pressure.

What I’ve seen in working with athletes, coaches, and high performers is that real change doesn’t come from pushing those parts harder or trying to get rid of them.

It comes from getting to know them.

This is where integrating IFS with EMDR has been so powerful in my work.

When parts feel heard and supported, the deeper work—processing difficult experiences, performance blocks, injuries—can happen with less resistance and more lasting impact.

If you’re curious, I shared more about what this looks like in an intensive in my newest blog:

https://emdrintensivesforathletes.com/ifs-informed-emdr-for-athletes/

I’d love to hear—what part of your “team” tends to show up most when you’re under pressure?

EMDR Specialist

03/10/2026

You’ve been cleared to play. Your rehab is done. Your strength is back.

So why does part of you still feel scared?

Many athletes experience fear of reinjury even after their body has healed. This isn’t a sign of weakness — it’s your brain’s way of protecting you. Thoughts, emotions, and body sensations from the original injury can stay linked in the nervous system, showing up as hesitation, tension, or anxiety when you try to fully trust your body again.

In my newest blog, I explain:
• Why athletes can still feel fear after being medically cleared
• How the brain stores injury experiences
• How EMDR therapy can help athletes process the injury and rebuild confidence

If you work with athletes — or are navigating injury recovery yourself — this is an important piece of the puzzle.

📖 Read the full blog here:
https://emdrintensivesforathletes.com/fear-of-reinjury-after-injury-athletes/

EMDR Specialist

03/06/2026

You’ve been cleared to play… but something still feels off.

Strength tests look good.
Rehab is complete.
Your trainer says you’re ready.

But when it’s time to sprint, cut, or fully trust the movement…

Something holds back.

Maybe it’s hesitation.
Maybe it’s tightness.
Maybe it’s a quiet fear of reinjury that’s hard to explain.

This is something I hear from athletes in my office more often than people realize.

What many athletes don’t know is that past injuries can sometimes prime the nervous system to respond with extra protection to future stressors — even small ones.

In other words, even when the body has healed, the brain and nervous system may still be on alert.

That hesitation, guarding, or lack of trust in the movement isn’t weakness.

Often, it’s a protective response.

Earlier this week I shared a blog exploring this idea:

“Injury Recovery for Athletes: How the Nervous System Plays a Part in Your Comeback.”

Next week I’ll be sharing a follow-up article about why the brain can encode injury as a threat experience — and why that response actually makes sense from a nervous system perspective.

Understanding this can change how we think about:

• Injury recovery
• Confidence after injury
• Returning to sport

👇 I’d love to hear from this community:

Have you seen athletes who were physically cleared but still hesitant to return?

What helped them rebuild confidence in their body again?

03/04/2026

New Blog Post: Injury Recovery for Athletes — The Nervous System’s Role in Your Comeback

When an athlete gets injured, the focus is (rightfully) on physical rehab. But there’s often a missing piece of the conversation.

Even after being medically cleared…
Even after putting in the work…
Some athletes still feel hesitant, tense, anxious, or “off.”

Why?

Because injury isn’t just a physical event — it’s a neurological one.

When an injury occurs, the brain can encode the experience as a threat. That response is adaptive and protective. But if the nervous system continues to perceive danger long after the tissue has healed, it can show up as fear of re-injury, loss of confidence, muscle guarding, or difficulty returning to full performance.

In this new blog, I break down:
• How the nervous system responds to injury
• Why being “cleared” doesn’t always equal feeling ready
• What trauma-informed, nervous system-aware recovery can look like

If you work with athletes — or are one — this perspective may shift how you think about recovery.

You can read the full article here:
🔗 https://emdrintensivesforathletes.com/injury-recovery-for-athletes-nervous-system/

I’d love to hear your thoughts or experiences with returning from injury.

EMDR Specialist

02/26/2026

Just move on.”

Athletes hear this all the time. And sometimes it helps.

But sometimes… your body doesn’t move on.

The memory still feels present. The stress still lives in your system. No matter how hard you try to think your way past it.

After speaking at the COACmH Conference, I’ve been reflecting on how important it is to bridge performance culture with trauma-informed care.

I’m sharing a new blog about how EMDR and brain-body approaches can support athletes who feel stuck — whether that’s injury trauma, the yips, or high-pressure stress that won’t resolve with mindset work alone and specifically how that impacts addiction and recovery models with athletes and high performers.

https://emdrintensivesforathletes.com/emdr-ifs-addiction-recovery-athletes/

EMDR Specialist

02/23/2026

Last week I had the honor of presenting at the 2nd Annual Conference of the Coalition for Athlete Mental Health and partnering with All Points North on the addiction panel.

The conversations were powerful — and necessary.

As someone who works with athletes, I’m deeply committed to helping more providers become trained in trauma-informed care for this population. Approaches like EMDR and IFS aren’t just clinical buzzwords — they are transformative tools that help athletes process injury, illness, coaching dynamics, performance blocks, and addictive patterns in a way that supports both healing and performance.

This mission is personal for me.

When I was a Division I college athlete navigating illness and injury, I didn’t have access to trauma-informed therapy. I didn’t yet understand how the way those experiences were handled — and how I internalized them — would later impact my confidence and how I performed. I often think about how different that season of my life could have felt with the right clinical support.

Athletes deserve providers who understand both the nervous system and the culture of sport.

We need to:
✔ Break down silos between mental health and performance
✔ Increase specialized training for clinicians working with athletes
✔ Help coaches, parents, and athletes understand what effective treatment can look like
✔ Normalize mental health care as part of elite development

I’m incredibly grateful for the collaboration, the learning, and the relationships being built in this space. Thank you to everyone who worked behind the scenes to make this conference possible.

The work continues — and I’m honored to be part of it.

If you’re a provider interested in trauma-informed work with athletes, or a coach/parent wanting to learn more, let’s connect.

02/20/2026

Excited to share a guest blog I recently wrote with The TouchPoint Solution on supporting the nervous system under pressure.

In sport, we often tell athletes to “just calm down” or “be mentally tough.” But performance isn’t just about mindset — it’s about what’s happening in the body.

When the nervous system feels safe and regulated, athletes can access focus, flexibility, and peak performance. In this post, I share how EMDR-informed work and bilateral stimulation tools can help athletes move out of survival mode and into their optimal zone.

If you work with athletes (or are one!), I’d love for you to take a read and share your thoughts. 💬

🔗 [Link]

Learn how EMDR therapy and TouchPoints support nervous system regulation under pressure. Discover how bilateral stimulation helps athletes move out of survival mode, reduce anxiety, and access embodied peak performance in training and competition.

02/13/2026

🌟 I’m looking forward to heading to Second Annual Coalition of Athletic Communities for Mental Health (COACmH) Conference next week for three days of collaboration, partnership, and advocacy in support of athlete mental health.

I’m honored to partner with All Points North and to be presenting on the Addiction Panel Wednesday afternoon.

In sport, we often hear the phrase, “Think like a goldfish.” 🐠
And while learning not to ruminate can absolutely support performance, it doesn’t tell the full story.

As humans — and as athletes — our nervous systems are shaped by memory networks. Experiences get stored below conscious awareness, and those networks can influence everything from confidence under pressure to coping strategies, including substance use.

In this session, we’ll explore how EMDR and IFS work together in addiction and recovery treatment for athletes — and how understanding the nervous system can improve both performance and overall well-being.

These conversations matter. When we shift from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened, and what’s your nervous system carrying?” we change the culture of sport.

If you’ll be there, I’d love to connect.

02/10/2026

What if one of the most powerful performance tools is something we rarely train… play?

In high-performance environments, athletes are often taught to push through, stay disciplined, and manage pressure at all costs. But neuroscience tells us something important: play circuitry is a biological state that supports learning, emotional regulation, and adaptability — all essential for peak performance.

When the nervous system feels safe enough to play:
• The brain becomes more flexible
• Learning and skill integration improve
• Athletes are less likely to freeze, shut down, or over-control under pressure

This is why play matters in EMDR therapy for athletes. Play isn’t about being unfocused or “soft.” It’s about creating the right nervous system conditions so the brain can process difficult experiences, recover from setbacks, and return to performance with more confidence and flow.

In my newest blog, I explore how play circuitry and EMDR work together to support both healing and high-level performance — especially for athletes who feel stuck despite doing “everything right.”

👉 Read the full blog here:
https://emdrintensivesforathletes.com/play-circuitry-emdr-therapy-performance/

High performance isn’t built on constant intensity alone.
Sometimes, it starts with giving the nervous system room to play.

EMDR Specialist

02/06/2026

Have you ever thought about therapy as a form of play?

I’ve been reflecting on this after a recent Huberman Lab episode where Andrew Huberman discussed play circuitry—and its role in learning and neuroplasticity across the lifespan, based on the work of Jaak Panksepp.

Play creates low-consequence opportunities for learning.
And that’s powerful—for all ages.

It’s also a beautiful parallel to what happens in therapy, especially EMDR.

There’s both an art and a science to this work. In approaches like EMDR 2.0, I intentionally tax working memory—doing things like tracking movements, mental math, spelling words backward—so stuck memory networks can integrate and store properly.

And something interesting happens…

✨ Sometimes there’s laughter
✨ Sometimes curiosity
✨ Sometimes a surprising lightness

That’s play circuitry coming online while real healing is happening.

For athletes and coaches, this matters. Therapy doesn’t have to feel heavy or intimidating. It can look a lot like training the nervous system—engaging, structured, evidence-based, and at times even playful.

There’s solid research behind this. Just like in sport, the nervous system learns best with novelty, engagement, and safety.

More on this in a blog coming next week.
If you’re curious about how play, neuroplasticity, and trauma-informed therapy intersect in high-performance spaces—stay tuned.

Sometimes the most powerful change happens when the work doesn’t feel like work at all.

02/03/2026

🤖🏅 AI is becoming part of the athlete mental health conversation — but it’s not the whole picture.

More athletes are using AI for mindset support, reflection, emotional regulation, and performance insight. And while technology can be a helpful tool, it’s important to pause and ask:

👉 What does real healing actually require?

In my newest blog, I explore how AI intersects with athlete mental health — and why trauma-informed care and human connection still matter, especially for athletes navigating trauma, chronic stress, burnout, or performance blocks.

AI can offer prompts and perspective.
But healing happens through:
• safety
• attuned human connection
• clinical expertise
• and nervous system–informed work

We don’t have to choose between innovation and integrity. We can integrate technology thoughtfully while keeping the human element at the center.

🔗 Read the full blog here:
https://emdrintensivesforathletes.com/ai-athlete-mental-health-trauma-informed-care/

I’d love to hear your thoughts — how do you see AI supporting (or complicating) athlete mental health and performance?

EMDR Specialist