These Philly-Area Sports Therapists Are Here to Support Athletes’ Mental Health
Strengthening the mind and body go hand-in-hand with sports. Here's who can help teams and individuals manage both.
Here’s our list of Philly-area sports psychologists and therapists for athletes. / Photograph courtesy of Getty Images.
For most athletes, being in the spotlight comes with an immense amount of pressure. Whether it’s overcoming an injury, game-day anxieties, or the overwhelming fear of failure, athletes sometimes feel like the weight of the world is on their shoulders.
Now, more than ever, athletes’ mental health is at the forefront of conversations, especially after Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka set an example by putting their well-being first, withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics finals and the French Open, respectively.
But you don’t have to be an Olympian to feel the stress of competition — athletes of all ages and levels need mental health support. Below, these local therapists and counselors specializing in sports psychology aim to help athletes keep their minds strong — on and off the playing field.
Baille Jones
1260 Old York Road, Warminster
Baille Jones, a licensed professional counselor at Airmid Wellness and Counseling Center with a background in sports psychology, works with athletes navigating stressful situations, experiencing life or identity transitions, or living with trauma, anxiety, or relationship issues.
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Center for Sport Psychology
255 South 17th Street, Suite 1408, Rittenhouse
Director Joel Fish has worked with the Phillies, Flyers, 76ers, as well as a number of different universities in the area. He and his staff focus on the mental aspects of sports for athletes of all levels, working with both individuals and teams and assisting parents on ways to help their athlete at home.
Ciarán Dalton Psychology
331 West State Street, Media
Psychologist Ciarán Dalton is a former professional athlete who understands the importance of a strong mental health foundation athletes need to reach their fullest potential. Working with everyone from young athletes to adult professionals, Dalton assists with building confidence, maintaining focus, and minimizing negative thoughts in order to provide tools and coping techniques to improve performance.
Cindy Schwartz-DeVol
175 Strafford Avenue, Suite 1, Wayne
As a competitive athlete in both tennis and golf, licensed psychologist Cindy Schwartz-DeVol understands the struggles athletes can face during their career, such as negative self-talk, trouble focusing and feelings of frustration. To overcome those hurdles, she helps clients create positive self-talk strategies and navigate the emotional roadblocks associated with performance.
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Cleary Counseling Services
202A N Monroe Street, Media
Licensed professional counselor and certified mental health coach Sean Cleary helps athletes, especially baseball players, in goal-setting, anxiety management, concentration, and coping with failure and injury. He also has experience serving as a sports psychology consultant for On Deck Training Center in Newtown Square.
Darrah Counseling
300 East Lancaster Avenue, Suite 200, Wynnewood
Recognizing that athletes have high expectations to perform both on and off the field, licensed professional counselor and sports performance consultant Ed Darrah uses an approach to combine both sport psychology and the clinical perspective to help athletes achieve peak performance. Darrah also offers team presentations and workshops, support for parents, and services for golfers and their caddies.
Greenepsych
551 West Lancaster Avenue, Suite 214, Haverford
Greenepsych’s team of licensed sports psychologists, as well as other mental health professionals, use their expertise to work with athletes on a number of issues including performance anxiety, eating disorders, confidence building, and mental setbacks related to injury. Greenepsych offers services to individuals and groups and also holds workshops on topics such as sport mental skills development and mental health of high school and college athletes.
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Meg Waldron Mental Performance
Virtual
Whether you’re recovering from an injury or need help overcoming a poor performance, mental performance coach and former competitive runner Meg Waldron strives to provide athletes with resources to push through lapses in motivation or mental roadblocks. She hosts individual sessions, team workshops and training camps, and presentations on topics like mindfulness and goal-setting.
Newtown Sport & Performance Psychology
17 Barclay Street, Building A/B, Newtown and 118 North State Street, 2nd floor, Newtown
Whatever your sport goals or athletic stressors are, the team at Newtown Sport & Performance Psychology understands that athletes face an increased level of pressure and often need support for their overall wellness. That’s because each counselor at the Newtown practice has a strong background in athletics, ranging from soccer and gymnastics to equestrianism and lacrosse. They also offer counseling for athletes being recruited for college, plus services for those looking to become a coach.
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Pamela Simms
Virtual
Licensed psychologist Pamela Simms believes in approaching sports performance through five areas: self-motivation, emotion regulation, attention and focus, problem-solving skills, and interpersonal connections. Using a collaborative approach, athletes will work on the mind-body connection to help reach peak performance.
Shadana Davis
Virtual
With nearly two decades of experience, licensed psychologist Shadana Davis assists both youth and adult athletes with issues such as anxiety, ADHD, trauma, and concerns related to cultural diversity in the hopes of eliminating the barriers and hesitancy often associated with athletes seeking mental health support.
Transitions Counseling Services
63 Chestnut Road, Suite 10, Paoli
With over 25 years of experience working with athletes at the high school and collegiate level as a coach, administration, and conducting life skills training, Taunya Marie Tinsley continues to use that experience to provide professional counseling services to a variety of athletes. Whether it be for the individual or a team, common concerns such as retirement from the sport and leadership development are focused on to help athletes prepare for their next step, no matter what it may be.
