Evolve Family Counseling and Sports Psychotherapy

11/25/2024

10/31/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/7g6QGSVctHmzQRnN/

The Ryan Bartel Foundation, started in 2014 after the su***de of its namesake, has helped over 10,000 youth in Loudoun County through its various programs.

10/28/2024

09/04/2024

Well-being and mental health care for sports participants and competitors can start with...

-Psychologically Safe Environments: where the thoughts, feelings, experiences and personalities of its participants are considered when striving to understand behaviour (and when considering every policy, every practice, and every process).

“Who is the person and why do they behave in this way...and how can we best behave and interact with this person.”

-An attitude that every person counts: if they’re here, then we care!

-Psychological safety: giving participants a voice in policy, practice, and process...and where participants are given a safe space to express vulnerability (while appreciating individual differences in attitude towards such safety)

-Motivational climate: leaning towards a mastery orientation (a focus on developmental and performance tasks), while appreciating individual differences in motivational patterns, from internal (feeding intrinsic rewards) to external (feeding extrinsic rewards).

-Safe uncertainty (thanks Dr Suzanne Brown): providing safety with the above approaches, while providing an environment that stretches (a balance between stretch and support).

-Coach-athlete relationships that are close, committed, co-operative, and co-orientated (see work of Professor Sophia Jowett)

-Optimal coaching engagement: a range of coaching practices from free play through deliberate practice through conditioned activities

-Coach with strong teaching skills to enhance learning: a strong knowledge of cognitive architecture of the brain (working memory and long term memory) helping players to enjoy the process of learning

-Teaching that encompasses decision-making: a strong knowledge of decision-making models

-Comprehensive player development plans: what, how, why...providing players with greater certainty as to where they are with their game

-Mental skills frameworks for all...shared!

-Leadership and teamship development on and off the pitch (court): simple, practical ideas that give players the opportunity to experience leadership and develop both task and social cohesion

-Incorporation of positive psychology practices including gratitude, optimism etc where possible

Mental health and well-being in a sports setting starts with helping players have an adaptive, flexible, and positive relationship with engagement, development and performance (that isn’t to suggest that it is highly recommended that clubs with resources offer access to appropriately trained clinical professionals for mental health education and intervention, but it is to say that coach practice and coach environment matter!)

It’s so important that our biggest sporting organisations/clubs sit with complexity, and strive to understand the dynamic sporting environment their participants are engaged in (and avoid making isolated and arbitrary decisions around their mental health strategies)

Performance, development, mental health, and well-being are heavily integrated

09/04/2024

👇 Get a link to our FREE WEBINAR on Helping an Anxious Child. Type: ANXIETYWEBINAR in the comments below to get a link 👇

During this free webinar, ICP Co-Founder and Registered Psychologist Tammy Schamuhn will explore anxiety in children and teens.

Parents and caregivers will learn about the neuroscience of anxiety, teach you how to better communicate with your child, and to implement a variety of emotion regulation strategies to calm a child or teen who is struggling.

09/04/2024

As September marks both the beginning of the new school year and Su***de Awareness Month, it’s a critical time to reflect on the challenges many young people face—challenges like self-esteem issues, bullying, and the intense pressures of adolescence. For some, these struggles can become overwhelming. Our son Ryan, who tragically took his own life just shy of his 18th birthday, experienced these battles firsthand. In his memory, we are committed to driving positive change and preventing other families from enduring similar heartbreak.

Youth su***de rates remain alarmingly high, underscoring the urgent need for awareness, support, and resources. Our Notes of Hope Gala isn’t just an event; it’s a powerful platform to raise the funds needed to break the stigma around mental health, offer essential programs, and nurture a culture of connection, acceptance and resilience among our youth. A very limited number of tickets and one “Friends” sponsorship remain. Join us in honoring Ryan’s legacy by supporting our cause and helping to turn despair into hope. Email Suzie at [email protected].

08/22/2024

The Ryan Bartel Foundation is seeking 10 to 12 candidates who are passionate about promoting mental health and resilience in teens to participate in the second cohort of its Teen

08/10/2024

08/10/2024

It was a great pleasure to help the players at The St. James Football Club with their pre-season preparations. The first of many events and programs that will help players, coaches, and parents with the bridge between mental health and performance.

08/05/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/77upgnDhWQZbede6/?mibextid=qtnXGe

“WHY NOT YOU!” - Olympic Gold Medalist Noah Lyles 🥇

06/07/2024

06/07/2024

Useful for coaches to understand Keyes’s Model of Mental Health…

Athletes can experience mental illness yet are still capable of flourishing in their environment…

My podcast episode on this here: https://buff.ly/4e9REQI

(The Sport Psych Show) https://buff.ly/4eaXWPR

03/23/2024

Come on down and see us today at the Middleburg Wellness Day. Presentation on ADHD, Anxiety, and Depression in Youth at 12:15pm, and vendor table #14.
Town of Middleburg