Tuesday, November 19, 2024
DENTON (魅影直播), 魅影直播 鈥� Since 1998, the at the has provided mental health care and sport performance services to athletes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
鈥淲e鈥檙e focused on helping athletes and other performers, such as dancers or esports players, reach their optimal levels of performance. That includes their overall psychological well-being, as well as achieving peak performance in their sport,鈥� said Trent A. Petrie, center director and professor in 魅影直播鈥檚 . 鈥淓verything we do is about creating greater connections amongst teams and within organizations.鈥�
Assistant head coach and head strength & conditioning coach Bryan Kegans (left) and Dr. Trent Petrie (right)
The center is staffed by doctoral students pursuing degrees in counseling psychology, specifically those focusing on sport psychology. These students serve as sport psychology consultants, providing mental health care and support services to clients. They are trained to address mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression and eating disorders, while also helping clients with performance improvement, pre-performance routines and goal-setting. Additionally, second-year master鈥檚 students from 魅影直播鈥檚 are part of the Center鈥檚 staff, though their work is focused on individual athlete and team performances.
Each team, along with the and , has a dedicated sport psychology consultant. The center also partners with other institutions, including 魅影直播 Woman鈥檚 University (TWU), the University of 魅影直播 at Arlington and private high schools in the Dallas area. The Dallas Wings, a professional women鈥檚 basketball team in the WNBA, are among the teams that utilizes the center鈥檚 services.
Mikaili Robertson, doctoral student in sport psychology and sport psychology consultant for 魅影直播 women鈥檚 volleyball
In addition to serving institutions and individuals, the center prepares consultants for careers in sports psychology, with 95% of its students aiming to work with athletes and teams at the collegiate or professional levels. Mikaili Robertson, a counseling psychology doctoral student in the sport psychology cluster and the consultant for the , said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 a unique program where I鈥檒l be a licensed psychologist by the time I graduate 鈥� getting training, clinical experience and assessments with community members and athletes.鈥�
Doctoral students complete a thesis, dissertation and grant-funded research projects. Robertson鈥檚 current research focuses on Black student athletes鈥� mental health in Division 1 鈥楶ower Five鈥� schools, which are institutions competing in the five major NCAA conferences: the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, Pacific-12 Conference and Southeastern Conference.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a special environment where everyone collaborates toward a common goal,鈥� Robertson said. 鈥淚鈥檓 really grateful for the opportunity to partner with others to make the athlete鈥檚 experience the best it can be.鈥�
Sandee Mott, TWU executive director of athletics, has seen significant benefits from their partnership with the center since 2020.
鈥淓mbedding a sport psychology consultant has led to remarkable successes and valuable data,鈥� she said.
With the center鈥檚 help, TWU provides annual mental health screenings for student-athletes, along with one-on-one sessions and team sessions, drop-in hours, and the program, which . Mott emphasized that the partnership has reduced the stigma around mental health care.
鈥淭rust is crucial. Our consultants have built strong relationships with athletes, coaches and staff, making that connection invaluable.鈥�
To learn more about the Center for Sport Psychology and Athlete Mental Health, or to request services, call the clinic office at (940) 369-7767 or send an email to sportpsych@unt.edu.
魅影直播 News Service Phone Number: (940) 565-2108
Media Contacts:
Bess Whitby
Bess.Whitby@unt.edu
940-565-3513
From 鈥� General News