ATHELTE MINDSET STRENGTHENING
Athlete Mindset Strengthening is designed to help children and teens achieve their goals, improve their performance, and ensure they enjoy participating in their sport. The approach used is grounded in research and psychological techniques, offering practical skills and strategies that can be applied in both training and games/competition.
Since success in sports largely depends on mindset, this work focuses on strengthening mental resilience and teaching athlets how to grow from setbacks. Athlete Mindset Strengthening can benefit any athlete by enhancing focus, motivation, competition/game mindset, and mental resilience. However, it is especially valuable for children and teens dealing with competition anxiety, mental blocks, negative self-concept, or setbacks like injuries or not making the team.
What we work on:
Since success in sports largely depends on mindset, this work focuses on strengthening mental resilience and teaching athlets how to grow from setbacks. Athlete Mindset Strengthening can benefit any athlete by enhancing focus, motivation, competition/game mindset, and mental resilience. However, it is especially valuable for children and teens dealing with competition anxiety, mental blocks, negative self-concept, or setbacks like injuries or not making the team.
What we work on:
- Managing Performance Anxiety: Learn techniques to manage anxiety in high-pressure situations and learn how to channel it into improving performance, using insights from the Yerkes-Dodson Law.
- Shifting Mindset: Develop a growth-oriented perspective to navigate obstacles and stay motivated. This is especially valuable for children and teens who struggle with the downsides of perfectionism, such as fear of making mistakes or rigid thinking, which can eventually limit their growth and enjoyment in sports.
- Overcoming Mental Blocks and Choking: Learn how to overcome blocks by understanding what they are and learning tools to get through them.
- Visualizations for Success: Learn how to use mental imagery to enhance skills, boost confidence, and prepare for high-pressure moments, such as games/competitions.
Meet Dr. Gabriela Ionita
As a psychologist, former competitive swimmer, and parent of an athlete, Dr. Gabriela Ionita combines professional expertise with personal experience in sports. Her interest in this area of psychology was sparked by supporting her own child through a mental block in gymnastics, which deepened her interest in applying psychological principles to help young athletes thrive both mentally and physically.
Since then, Dr. Ionita has immersed herself in undertanding how psychological techniques can improve athletic performance and well-being. Her mission is to foster happier, more resilient athletes by addressing the mental aspects of their sport. She works with athletes in all sports, but has a particular interest in gymnastics.
To ensure the highest quality of care, Dr. Ionita is currently receiving specialized supervision in sports psychology as she expands her work in this area. She is also engaged in research on mental blocks in gymnasts, supervising an honors student who is exploring strategies for overcoming these blocks from a coach’s perspective.
Recognizing the limited information available on how to support gymnasts with mental blocks, Dr. Ionita has begun writing a book to share tools and strategies that can help parents, coaches, and gymnasts be better equipped to manage mental blocks.
Since then, Dr. Ionita has immersed herself in undertanding how psychological techniques can improve athletic performance and well-being. Her mission is to foster happier, more resilient athletes by addressing the mental aspects of their sport. She works with athletes in all sports, but has a particular interest in gymnastics.
To ensure the highest quality of care, Dr. Ionita is currently receiving specialized supervision in sports psychology as she expands her work in this area. She is also engaged in research on mental blocks in gymnasts, supervising an honors student who is exploring strategies for overcoming these blocks from a coach’s perspective.
Recognizing the limited information available on how to support gymnasts with mental blocks, Dr. Ionita has begun writing a book to share tools and strategies that can help parents, coaches, and gymnasts be better equipped to manage mental blocks.
Fees
- Individual Sessions (50 minutes): $250 per session
- Team Workshops: Fees vary based on your specific needs. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.
Recommended Books:
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
- The Champion’s Mind by Jim Afremow
- Unblocked: The Walls Come Tumbling Down by Jeff Benson
- Mental Strengthening Journal for Athletes by Stacey Goodrich
