Supporting the Mental Health of Athletes:
Beyond Physical Strength
Athletes are celebrated for their strength, resilience, and dedication. Their physical accomplishments are incredible, inspiring others to push limits and pursue greatness. But behind the trophies, medals, and accolades, many high-performing athletes face a quieter struggle: mental health challenges that can be as complex and taxing as the physical demands they go through.
As a psychotherapist who works closely with artists, performers, and athletes, I’ve come to see firsthand how deeply the mental and physical aspects of performance are intertwined. As someone with 15 years of professional dance performance and teaching experience, I understand the unique perspective on the pressures that performers face. While the highs of performance can be exhilarating, the pressures to constantly achieve, perfect, and endure are intense, and they often weigh heavily on athletes’ mental well-being.
The Pressure Beneath the Performance
For athletes, the path to success is filled with countless hours of training, competition, and sacrifice. The desire to excel often brings with it a persistent drive for perfection, accompanied by a fear of failure that can feel overwhelming. Athletes are taught to "push through" – to ignore physical pain, to push beyond mental limits. But this mentality, while sometimes helpful in competition, can be damaging if it becomes the primary way they cope with challenges.
Injuries, setbacks, and burnout don’t just affect the body; they impact the mind too. When an athlete experiences an injury, the physical pain is often compounded by feelings of frustration, helplessness, and even shame. The world might see an athlete recovering on the outside, but inside, there may be a struggle with isolation, anxiety, or even depression. The mental and emotional aspects of recovery are just as important as the physical ones.
Why Mental Health Matters for Athletes
Just as physical health is vital to an athlete’s performance, so too is mental well-being. Therapy offers a space where athletes can process their experiences, manage stress, and learn healthier coping strategies that don’t sacrifice mental health for the sake of achievement. Through therapeutic modalities like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), IFS (Internal Family Systems), and somatic therapies, athletes can reconnect with themselves, improve their mind-body connection, work through past traumas or injuries, and develop resilience beyond their physical strength.
These therapeutic approaches help athletes understand that prioritising mental health is not a sign of weakness. Instead, it’s a commitment to a balanced and holistic form of wellness. Just as they would rehabilitate a physical injury, athletes can benefit from "mental recovery" time, prioritising self-care, rest, and emotional support.
Let’s Normalise Conversations Around Mental Health in Sports
Mental health support should be as important and routine as physical training for athletes. By opening up conversations around these topics, we can help reduce the stigma that still surrounds mental health in the sports world. Athletes should feel as comfortable seeking mental health support as they are consulting with a coach or trainer.
As a therapist who deeply understands the intersections of performance and mental health, my goal is to offer athletes a safe, understanding space to explore their unique challenges. By normalising mental health care for athletes, we can pave the way for a more balanced, healthier, and more sustainable approach to success in sports.
