Dr. Tess M. Kilwein

12/31/2025

🏳️‍🌈🏟️ New Psychology Today piece out today.

What “Heated Rivalry” Reveals About Being Q***r in Sport takes a hard look at identity stress, performance pressure, and the very real cost of silence in athletics.

Q***r athletes are often asked to perform at their peak while editing parts of themselves to survive team culture. That tension does not stay on the sidelines. 🧠💥

Representation matters. So does discomfort. Especially if we actually care about long-term well-being, not just short-term wins.

Read here 👉

A sport psychologist examines how the TV show 'Heated Rivalry' exposes the real mental health costs that q***r athletes carry in high-performance sport cultures.

12/22/2025

12/10/2025

Athlete su***de is heavy on many of our minds and hearts this week.

While stigma surrounding athlete mental health is reducing and access to mental health resources in the sports world is increasing, we need to ask ourselves the hard question: Why Do Athletes Continue to Die by Su***de?

Athlete su***de remains a leading cause of death in collegiate sport. Let's talk about it.

🔗

Su***de among athletes remains a painful reality despite growing awareness. A clinical and sport psychologist examines what systems can do differently to better protect athletes.

12/06/2025

I am excited to speak at Pineapple Support's upcoming Mental Health Summit: Sexual Education for the Sexually Educated, a global event focused on mental health and community wellbeing in the adult industry. 🌍💛

I will be facilitating a panel on Pleasure, Power, and Healing, where we will explore how consent, communication, and intentional s*xual expression can support empowerment and trauma recovery/healing. 🔥🧠

If you are interested in trauma-informed care, s*x positive frameworks, or the intersections of mental health and adult work, you are invited to join us!

Find out more: ✨👇
https://pineapplesummit.org/pineapple-summit-2025/

12/01/2025

Unapologetic Psychology December newsletter is out!

🔗 https://unapologeticpsych.substack.com/p/december-newsletter

11/27/2025

When the holidays arrive, many athletes trade rings and races for tinsel and turkey, but the pause does not always feel restful. In my latest Psychology Today article I dive into how we can support ambitious athletes this holiday season by reminding them of the importance of rest, identity beyond sport, and whole-person connection. 🧠🎄

If you work with athletes or love an athlete in your life, now is the time to check in: How are they sleeping? Are they still feeling like “just an athlete”? And are they getting space to breathe, belong, and recharge beyond the sport bubble?

Read more 👇

Holidays can create pressure for athletes by disrupting routines and increasing stress. Learn how to support rest, identity, and well-being during this demanding season.

11/26/2025

Webinar Alert 🌈✨

Curious about gender identity, expression, and how these experiences show up in the adult industry? Join me for a clear, affirming breakdown of key terms, identities, and pronouns, plus space to deepen your understanding of yourself and others.

Understanding the nuances of gender identities and experiences can feel uncertain.This webinar will define and differentiate s*x, gender identity, and gender...

11/25/2025

Super excited to share this collaboration between Wyoming Athletics and Vanderbilt Athletics! 🤠 ⚓

The peer-reviewed article published in Journal of Sport Behavior discusses strategies for athletic trainers to promote psychological well-being among collegiate student-athletes during injury rehabilitation, straight from the experiences of student-athletes themselves.

Thank you Sara Melby, Luke MacArthur, and Rye Hoogerwerf for partnering with me on this!

Message me for the full article.

11/08/2025

Sport Psychology - We need to talk about who we're missing.

Men, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and younger athletes often face elevated rates of stigma, lack of representation, and poor access to care. Having sport psychologists isn’t enough if our most marginalized athletes don’t feel safe or seen.

How do we crate environments where every athlete can engage proactively with our services, not just when in crisis?

Let's Talk About It 👉

Marshawn Kneeland's death highlights ongoing inequities in athlete mental health. Sport psychology must expand to reach marginalized athletes through inclusive, proactive care.

11/06/2025

🌿 Had the most spectacular visit to Bates College as a Learning Associate.

I met with psychology students across five courses to talk about pathways into clinical & sport psychology. I also met with athletic department leaders to discuss key well-being challenges facing college athletes and delivered a campus-wide talk titled “Beyond the Game: Supporting Athletes Through Socioemotional Adversity.”

At a college where about 40% of the student body are varsity student-athletes and over 70% participate in varsity, club, and intramural sports, the conversations reflected Bates’ strong commitment to holistic student development.

This campus community is doing remarkable work both in the classroom and on the fields and I am grateful to have been invited to be a part of it this week. 💜🎾

11/04/2025

I’m looking forward to spending the week at Bates College as a Learning Associate. I’ll be speaking with psychology students across campus and delivering a talk to Bates Athletics on Beyond the Game: Supporting Athletes Through Socioemotional Adversity.

What a beautiful & historic campus, one of the first U.S. colleges to offer equal opportunity education, known for its academic rigor and strong commitment to social responsibility and inclusivity.

11/03/2025

The November Unapologetic Psychology newsletter - Unapologetic Updates - is live! This month covers our new website unveil, time spent providing mental health and performance support to talent at at E###OTICA New Jersey, and a conversation with Deion Sanders on health and vulnerability.

🔗 Check it out:

Updates from Unapologetic Psychology