THERAPY FOR ATHLETES · SOUTHLAKE, TX · ONLINE ACROSS TEXAS

Therapy for Athletes dealing with pressure, injury and everything in between

You know what you're capable of. Getting it to show up under pressure, after an injury, or in a season that isn't going your way is a different skill, and it can be built.

Book a free 15-minute consult How we work on it →

PRESSURE ✦ GAME DAY ✦ THE DRIVE HOME ✦ INJURY ✦ IDENTITY ✦ SETTLE THE BODY ✦ KEEP YOUR EDGE ✦ PRESSURE ✦ GAME DAY ✦ THE DRIVE HOME ✦ INJURY ✦ IDENTITY ✦ SETTLE THE BODY ✦ KEEP YOUR EDGE ✦ PRESSURE ✦ GAME DAY ✦ THE DRIVE HOME ✦ INJURY ✦ IDENTITY ✦ SETTLE THE BODY ✦ KEEP YOUR EDGE ✦ PRESSURE ✦ GAME DAY ✦ THE DRIVE HOME ✦ INJURY ✦ IDENTITY ✦ SETTLE THE BODY ✦ KEEP YOUR EDGE ✦ PRESSURE ✦ GAME DAY ✦ THE DRIVE HOME ✦ INJURY ✦ IDENTITY ✦ SETTLE THE BODY ✦ KEEP YOUR EDGE ✦ PRESSURE ✦ GAME DAY ✦ THE DRIVE HOME ✦ INJURY ✦ IDENTITY ✦ SETTLE THE BODY ✦ KEEP YOUR EDGE ✦

Sound familiar?

Most athletes can tell you exactly what's off with their swing or their footwork, but the mental side is a lot harder to pin down.

You play better in practice than when it counts, and you don't know why.
One early mistake and the rest of your game is off. You're now in your head and don't know how to get out of it.
On the drive home, the bad plays keep replaying in your mind over and over again. The good ones don't even register.
Your mood, and even your sleep, depends on how the last game went.
You're back from an injury. Your body is 100%. Your head isn't.
You're not sure who you are if you're not the athlete.
The sport you loved has started to feel like a job, or a test you have to keep passing.

None of this means you're not tough enough. It just means you've been training every part of your game except the one that has to hold up under pressure.

start 9:41 AM

A young football player in a white helmet smiling on the field at dusk

Pressure begins in the body

When the pressure starts, your nervous system does exactly what it's designed to do. You feel those butterflies and start to narrow your focus. Some of that helps. It's part of why you're good at this. But when it's too much, your body stops following the plan in your head.

That's why "just relax" or "stay positive" doesn't do much. You can't talk your body out of a state it's already in, but you can train it to come out of it.

For a lot of the athletes I work with, sport isn't just something they do. It's a part of their identity. That's a big part of why a rough season, an injury or a poor performance in their last game can have such an impact on their performance.

You don't have to love the pressure to be able to work within it.

HOW WE WORK ON IT

I'm not here to be just another coach,

and I'm not here to tell you how to play. I'm here for you. We work on a few levels at once.

Settle the body under pressure

We'll look at what your system does when the stakes are high and practice ways to bring it back to where you play your best. I'll help you develop practical skills you can use on game day.

Work through what's weighing on you

Maybe it's a serious injury or something a coach said that still plays in your head. When it fits, I use EMDR to help you work through those moments so they stop replaying in the middle of the next game.

Build an identity bigger than your stats

The goal is for a bad performance to just be a bad performance, not a judgment of who you are. That matters most during the big transitions, like coming back from an injury or stepping away from the sport for good.

I'll push you when you need it, while also creating space where you can just be messy & human. You can keep your competitive edge without having to carry all of it by yourself.

Who I work with

A lot of the athletes I see are in high school, which makes sense in a town that takes its sports as seriously as this one does. I also work with college athletes trying to balance their sport with the rest of their life, and with adults who still compete, whether that's running marathons or playing on a club team. Some are coming back from an injury or figuring out who they are after their last season, and plenty of others don't fit a neat category but still saw themselves somewhere on this page.

If you're a parent

You've probably noticed your athlete is struggling, and every conversation about it seems to end in an argument or a shrug, which is really common with teens. I work with teen athletes directly, and during the consult we'll talk about how you fit into the process.

This works best when you're willing to put in some effort, even if it isn't perfect and doesn't happen all at once. I match my effort to yours, and we'll figure out the pace together.

Ally Stuckless sitting on the edge of a mint armchair, leaning forward and smiling

What getting started looks like

Free 15-minute consult

A call to talk through what's going on and see if we're a good fit, with no pressure either way. Parents are welcome to book it for their teen.

First sessions

We get specific about when the pressure hits you and what it's been costing you.

The work

In person at my Southlake office or online anywhere in Texas, so it fits around practice and travel.

Questions about cost? See Fees & insurance

Questions from athletes & parents

Is this sports psychology?

Not quite. I'm a licensed professional counselor, not a sports psychologist. Sports psychology and mental performance coaching tend to focus on performance skills. Therapy includes those skills too, but it also makes room for what's underneath the pressure and for the rest of your life outside of sports.

Do you work with teen athletes?

Yes, a lot of the athletes I see are still in high school. Parents can reach out and book the consult, and we'll go over how the process works for your family.

Can therapy help after a sports injury?

Yes, because recovery is more than physical. The fear of getting hurt again and the loss of your routine and your team can take a real toll. Therapy works alongside your medical team and physical therapy, not in place of them.

What sports do you work with?

The sport matters less than you'd think, because pressure and the fear of failing show up in much the same way whether you're on a field or a court. I work with athletes in team and individual sports, from high school up to competitive adults.