Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

  • Sport psychology is the study and application of psychological principles to sport, exercise, and physical activity.

    It examines how thoughts, emotions, motivation, behavior, and other psychological factors influence performance and well-being, and how participation in sport can influence psychological development.

  • Mental performance refers to the psychological skills and strategies that help individuals perform effectively in their sport, particularly in demanding or high-pressure situations.

    You can think of it as training the psychological side of performance. An athlete may spend hours developing strength, speed, conditioning, technique, and strategy. Mental performance, however, is asking:

    What are we doing to intentionally develop the mind involved in all of that?

  • There is considerable overlap between the two terms, although they are not always used in exactly the same way.

    Sport psychology is the broader scientific and professional field concerned with psychological processes related to sport and exercise. Mental performance on the other hand is often used to describe the practical application of psychological skills one can utilize in their sport.

  • Mental skills can be useful for athletes at virtually any level—from youth and high school athletes to collegiate, recreational, and elite competitors.

    You don't have to be a professional athlete to benefit from learning how to manage pressure, improve focus, develop confidence, or respond to mistakes. In fact, developing these skills earlier can provide athletes with tools they can use throughout their athletic and personal journey.

  • No.

    You don't need to be experiencing a major problem to work on your mental game.

    Some athletes seek mental performance support because they are struggling with confidence or performance anxiety. Others simply want to become more consistent, prepare more effectively, or gain a competitive edge over their opponent.

Questions About Individual Sessions

  • An initial session generally involves learning about you, your sport, your experiences, your goals, and the areas you would like to develop. From there, we can identify specific mental performance skills to work on and develop practical strategies that you can practice between sessions.

    The process may look something like:

    Understand → Identify → Develop → Practice → Apply → Reflect

    The goal is to gradually turn psychological concepts into practical skills.

  • There is no universal number.

    Some individuals may benefit from a small number of sessions (4-8)  focused on a specific performance challenge or goals we create. Others may prefer ongoing mental skills development throughout their season. The appropriate number of sessions depends on your goals, needs, availability, and circumstances.

  • Yes.

    Confidence is one of the most common areas athletes want to improve. Confidence development involves understanding what influences confidence and learning mental skills that allow you to continue performing even when confidence drops or when adversity inevitably comes.

  • Yes. 


    Nervousness and physiological arousal are normal parts of competition. The goal isn't necessarily to eliminate nerves or anxious distress. Rather, mental performance work can help athletes understand their responses to pressure and develop strategies for regulating attention, interpreting physiological sensations, staying present, and continuing to execute their skills to the highest ability they can.

  • Yes.

    A poor performance can become particularly problematic when an athlete continues mentally replaying it long after the competition has ended, thus affecting them days afterwards.

    ​Mental skills can help athletes learn to evaluate rather than ruminate, identify what can be learned, and redirect attention toward what comes next. One of the central questions regarding any performance I ask is this:

    "What can you learn from this, and what is your next controllable action?

Questions From Parents

  • Yes.

    Mental performance support may be appropriate for an athlete who wants to develop psychological skills, improve confidence, prepare for competition, or learn strategies for handling pressure and setbacks.

    Parents can also benefit from consultation about how to support their athlete without unintentionally increasing performance pressure, which is common.

  • One of the most valuable things parents can provide is a healthy environment both at home and at sporting events, in which the athlete feels supported regardless of the scoreboard.

    Below are examples of helpful questions after competition, game, or practice:

    "How did you feel out there?"

    "What did you learn?"

    "What are you proud of?"

  • Collaboration with all parties involved, such as an athlete, parent, coach, and mental performance coach, can sometimes be beneficial. However, the athlete's privacy and the professional boundaries of the relationship remain important. Any collaboration will be discussed with written consent.

Questions From Coaches

  • Mental performance can provide an additional psychological perspective that can aid the coaching philosophy and overall program.

    For example, coaches may notice that an athlete consistently struggles after making an early mistake. Mental performance work might explore the athlete's attention, emotional response, self-talk, and behavioral response following that mistake to better help the athlete, and thus the overall team success. The goal is collaboration with the coach, not replacing the coach.

  • Yes.

    Sessions can be adapted to the sport, age, competitive level, and needs of the team.

  • Yes.

    Coach consultation can focus on understanding psychological principles and identifying ways mental skills can be incorporated into their existing training programs.

Mental Performance vs. Mental Health

  • No. 

    Although mental performance and mental health can overlap, they are distinct areas.

    Mental performance generally focuses on developing psychological skills related to performance. Mental health counseling addresses mental health concerns and psychological difficulties through clinical assessment, treatment, and related services within the professional's scope of practice. Counseling services are in development once further qualifications are achieved and approved within the state of Idaho by the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL). Once achieved, CIMA can provide both mental health and mental performance services at the same time if needed.

  • No.

    Mental performance coaching or education should not be considered a substitute for mental health treatment. If someone is experiencing significant psychological distress or symptoms of a mental health disorder, or a safety concern, an appropriate mental health professional or emergency/crisis resource will be utilized or contacted.

  • Yes.

    In some circumstances, different professionals can provide complementary services. For example, a therapist may focus on mental health treatment while a mental performance coach focuses specifically on performance-related skill development utilized in sport. Counseling services are in development once further qualifications are achieved and approved within the state of Idaho by the DOPL. Once achieved, CIMA can provide both mental health and mental performance services at the same time if needed.

Questions About CIMA

  • I have extensive experience working with athletes in basketball at the high school and college (NAIA) levels, as well as high school football, and observational experience with the NMSU football program during my time on the support staff from 2022 through my work scholars position. I also have a background in cross‑country running at both the high school and Division I levels.

    However, mental performance principles apply across all sports. Skills such as confidence, focus, emotional regulation, resilience, and pressure management are relevant whether an athlete competes in basketball, football, volleyball, soccer, track and field, swimming, baseball, softball, wrestling, golf, dance, cheer, or any other competitive sporting activity. Mental Performance training is designed to support athletes in any sport. 

  • Not necessarily. 

    Mental performance services are available in person in the Coeur d’Alene, ID, and Spokane, WA areas, and remotely to clients anywhere in the United States.

    Counseling services, however, follow different rules. Counseling is currently in development and will be offered once all requirements for scope of practice are fully met. Because counseling involves clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning, it can only be provided to Idaho residents, as my professional licensure is held in the state of Idaho. Once counseling services are active and approved by the Idaho (DOPL), CIMA will then be able to provide both Mental Performance and Counseling Services.

    Mental performance services → available to anyone in any U.S. state

    Counseling services → available only to Idaho residents

Still Have Questions?

If you're an athlete, parent, coach, team, or athletic program interested in learning more about mental performance or sport psychology, I'd be happy to have a conversation and help you determine what might be appropriate for your situation.