Sport Psychology for Female Athletes

Building resilience: expert medical care for the athletic body and mind  

Mass General Brigham’s Women's Sports Medicine program offers psychological consultation and treatment tailored to the unique challenges and pressures faced by female athletes. Athletic injuries can compound these pressures and may result in sudden downtime, loss of identity, difficulty coping, generalized anxiety and even fear of returning to sport. Working in coordination with Mass General Brigham’s comprehensive Women’s Sports Medicine team, our mental health experts help athletes develop the mental, life and self-regulatory skills necessary to navigate injury, recovery, return-to-sport, and athletic performance.

How can sport psychology help female athletes’ performance?

The Sport Psychology for Female Athletes program can help women and girls with:

• Assessing current mental health
• Addressing factors interfering with returning to sport post-surgery or injury
• Coping cognitively and emotionally with injury recovery
• Setting rehabilitation expectations and goals
• Improving body image
• Navigating athletic performance standards
• Developing healthy food relationships
• Utilizing motivational and mindfulness techniques to facilitate return-to-sport
• Referrals for longer-term therapy and/or psychiatric care, if needed
• Coordination of care with athlete's medicine team

What should female athletes expect during sessions?

Our treatment model consists of an intake evaluation, in which Mass General Brigham experts will assess a patient's current condition and determine the best course of psychological treatment. If appropriate, evaluation will be followed by approximately 6-8 therapy sessions. These sessions utilize empirically supported techniques for mood, cognitive, and behavioral changes that correspond to the individual’s treatment goals, focusing on specific factors affecting mental wellness and sport performance.

What are the requirements for this sport psychology program?

For comprehensive care coordination, all Women's Sports Medicine Sport Psychology patients must have a primary care provider (PCP). Sport Psychology appointments are held virtually and can be scheduled by calling 857-282-3909. Please note, patients must be located in the state of Massachusetts at the time of their appointment.