Coastal Beaches Therapy
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Services
    • Therapy >
      • Specializations & Approaches
      • Services Not Provided
    • Sports Health Counseling >
      • Sports Health Counseling
      • Mental Performance
      • Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing
    • Appointments and Cancellations
    • FAQS
  • Fees & Insurance
    • Fees & Insurance
    • Insurance Reimbursement for Psychotherapy
  • Resources
  • Let's Connect
  • Blog

www.coastalbeachestherapy.com

Coastal Beaches Therapy Blog

Amy Pope-Latham, LCSW

Athletes are People Too...

2/1/2019

 
With all the energy and excitement surrounding Super Bowl 53 this upcoming Sunday, this is a perfect opportunity to talk about a topic within sports culture most fans would rarely begin to consider first when they think of his or her favorite athlete: MENTAL HEALTH. 

I recently came across a wonderful article written by Jasmyn Wimbish on http://www.fansided.com. In the article, Wimbish talks about a mental health initiative for NFL players that focuses on eliminating the veil of shame for players so they can talk openly and honestly about mental health concerns. Former San Diego Chargers quarterback, Ryan Leaf who is the chairman of the Focus Intensity Foundation, is advocating for NFL players to feel comfortable being proactive in taking a more well-rounded approach to wellness and fitness by having the conversation about mental health just as easily as players can talk about physical injury and other medical concerns. 

Athletes should be able to check in about how they are feeling just as routinely as getting a physical for medical clearance to play. Professional athletes have a lot of support from medical and alternative health professionals to ensure they are capable of performing well on the field. What about psychological and emotional health? Is there any consideration for the stress, grief, conflict, and emotions of these elite athletes? I would like to know how athletes are coping when they aren't in uniform.

One aspect of being a professional, high performance athlete requires adjustment to a new environment that not only impacts the player, but instant fame and celebrity status impacts family members and loved ones who similarly must adapt and navigate through new social territories. This "status" can also open the doors to high-risk behaviors such as substance use, violence, and other maladaptive behaviors that function as ways for athletes to cope with the multifaceted stressors of being an elite athlete and human being.

My hope is to see a development of further initiatives and programs that focus on recognizing the person beyond the number jersey he or she wears. It all begins with awareness and I am so excited to see an increase in dialogue about mental health and professional sports. 

You can read the full article by clicking here. 

Comments are closed.

    Author

    Amy Pope-Latham, LCSW is a board certified mental health professional in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
    ​Amy specializes in working with high performance athletes and adolescents. 
    Amy is a certified EMDR therapist and also works with a variety of issues including: grief, anxiety, depression, panic, obsessive compulsive disorder, and perfectionism.

    Archives

    August 2024
    December 2023
    December 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    January 2022
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    February 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018

    Categories

    All
    Adolescents
    Anxiety
    Athlete
    Beaches
    Biology
    Coping
    Coping Skills
    Counseling
    Eating Disorders
    EMDR
    Family
    Grief
    Healing
    Insurance
    LCSW
    Loss
    Medical
    Medicine
    Mindfulness
    Parenting
    Ponte Vedra Beach
    PTSD
    Sports
    Sports Psychology
    Substance Abuse
    Therapist
    Therapy
    Trauma
    Trauma Recovery

    RSS Feed

Follow along for the latest updates!
COPYRIGHT © 2025 COASTAL BEACHES THERAPY​. 

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Services
    • Therapy >
      • Specializations & Approaches
      • Services Not Provided
    • Sports Health Counseling >
      • Sports Health Counseling
      • Mental Performance
      • Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing
    • Appointments and Cancellations
    • FAQS
  • Fees & Insurance
    • Fees & Insurance
    • Insurance Reimbursement for Psychotherapy
  • Resources
  • Let's Connect
  • Blog