I have always been somewhat psychologically aware, as my mother was an amazing ambassador for the power of self-awareness & the journey to get there. From an early age, it was not uncommon to meet w a psychologist, just to have a check in & see how things were going. Because of that, I never saw the counseling profession having a negative stigma, but instead saw it as an additive in my life.

When I was playing baseball in college, I struggled with my own expectations & learning how to be vulnerable. I was good at failing. I was terrible at succeeding. I had the story written before it ever happened too. It wasn’t until I learned the power of my own mental game did I learn to become ok with success.

Later, I started struggling w anxiety & panic attacks, & was able to navigate through them from my experience as a psychologist, but also through my understanding of mindfulness. The pain of the moment was able to be ridden instead of fought.

Understanding the psychological aspects of my performance as an athlete, experiencing & working through anxiety as a graduate student & adult, & then working as a psychologist have helped me to see life in a perspective of riding the wave instead of swimming upstream. I cannot change the fact that I tend to be more anxious, but that anxiety is actually good for me. It helps me be more engaged & invested in the clients I work w, to be more vibrant in my experiences, & realize that the way I see the world is my way.

Growing up in a family where meeting w a psychologist was normal, it was not hard to ask for help. I know that is not the case for others, but I hope that my work as a clinical & sports psychologist can help athletes see the value in such consultations & trust that relationship in the future.

I practice my version of mindfulness – I don’t say that to sell a way, but instead, I read & learn from many different practitioners & find a little bit of each that I enjoy. One of my favorite things to do is wake up in the morning & go have breakfast by myself, bc it allows me the morning to capture my plan for the day & center myself mentally. As a child, I used to dread the mornings, worrying about the day, but this has given me a tool to face the chaos & uncertainty in the manner that works for me.

People have reacted to my #SameHere story as I’ve shared it very positively – why not? We are all dealing with something & learning to live in this wild world. To live without struggle or suffering is impossible, so it is just one aspect of who I am.