Helping injured athletes like you, set realistic goals for healing and returning to your sport

Athletic injury can feel dark, heavy, or even impossible to deal with. Most athletes who get injured feel as if they have lost a huge part of their identity. Perhaps you can relate. I surely can. Maybe you feel a sense of loss, sadness or even anger.

Do any of the following resonate with you?

• Your energy levels are at an all time low.
• You lost the joyful feelings that you used to have regarding your sport and life in general.
• You know that sadness and negative thinking aren’t helpful but getting out of it alone isn’t possible.
• At times you feel envious of teammates or other athletes who are not coping with injury. And then you experience shame for having those feelings.

If these sound true for you, know that even though you may feel alone, you are not; that many people in your circumstances need support considering the many challenges you are facing. You may not feel like talking about your injury, but it will help you feel better.

Navigate Challenges Imposed by Your Injury

It’s possible to feel better. Imagine if you could…

• Control how you respond to negative thoughts about injury recovery
• Shift into a more positive and hopeful outlook on life.
• Feel less sad and anxious

You will learn scientifically-proven effective skills to help you cope with difficulties you have been experiencing.

I’ve helped injured athletes through their recovery.  I can help you understand the connection between brain and body and how we can more effectively use our brain power to heal from injury.

I’m a psychotherapist with expertise in stress and anxiety management who is here to help. I’m also a triathlete who has experienced injury and recovery (numerous times).

How Therapy Works

Therapy consists of 50 min, one-on-one sessions that help you work through your concerns. In addition to listening, I will share thoughts when it’s helpful and share what the science tells us about what’s going on for you. Here’s how it will work step-by-step:

1. First, I provide a safe, accepting space so that you will feel comfortable sharing your struggles with me.
2. Through hearing your story, I will start to get a picture of what your injury recovery-related challenges are.
3.  We’ll start by helping you with your most immediate concerns like managing difficult emotions.
4. We’ll also work to discover what your goals are regarding the emotional part of injury rehabilitation.
5. Keeping your unique goals in mind, we’ll figure out what’s needed to help you reach them.
6. Over the course of our sessions, you will start making progress towards the life you desire.

Research shows that therapy can positively change your thinking, beliefs, emotions, and behaviors. It can help you let go of what’s holding you back.

Ready to start feeling better? Let’s make a plan and set realistic goals for healing and returning to your sport. You can email me at: mariedonabella@outlook.com or call: (401)829-7527 (or go to my Contact page) to set up a phone consultation.

If you’re looking for other therapy services, I also offer psychotherapy for post-surgical patients and psychotherapy for athletes needing help balancing life demands!

It’s always good to have a little support when you’re hurting.