Consultations for Coaches, Clubs & Support Teams
Supporting Athlete Wellbeing Through Understanding, Communication & Psychological Insight
Coaches and support teams play a central role in the well-being of athletes. You witness their highs, their challenges, their doubts, and the subtle changes that may appear long before an athlete is ready to speak about them. Yet despite this responsibility, coaches are often left without a safe or informed place to explore their own questions, concerns, or uncertainties.
I offer consultation sessions for coaches, clubs, and support professionals who want to deepen their understanding of the emotional, psychological, and relational aspects of athlete wellbeing. These conversations help you build clarity, confidence, and sensitivity when supporting athletes, particularly those navigating RED-S, burnout, identity challenges, training-related distress, or neurodivergent needs. Remembering that athletes are humans first, and sometimes, rather than sport psychology, they benefit from counselling in different ways that can improve their overall wellbeing and, in turn, their performance.
Whether you are seeking support for a specific athlete, for team dynamics, or for your own professional growth, this space allows you to think openly and with guidance.
Why Psychological Insight Matters in Athlete Support
Athlete well-being does not exist in a vacuum. It is shaped by identity, environment, pressure, communication, internal expectations, and the wider culture of sport. Changes in performance or behaviour are rarely just physical; they often reflect emotional or psychological experiences that are harder to name.
Many athletes struggle with:
internal pressure to appear strong
fear of disappointing a coach or team
Isolation and having someone to talk to who understands but is not directly focused on performance
shame around fatigue or low energy availability
difficulty expressing emotional needs
perfectionism or people-pleasing
masking distress, especially for neurodivergent athletes
confusion about changes in performance or recovery
As a coach, you may sense that something is wrong but feel unsure how to approach it. You might worry about saying the wrong thing, overstepping, or unintentionally increasing pressure. You may feel responsible for an athlete’s well-being yet unable to access clear guidance.
Consultation offers a supportive and reflective space to navigate these complexities with care.
My Perspective as Both a Counsellor & Endurance Athlete
My work is shaped not only by my therapeutic training, but also by my lived experience in endurance sport. I understand the emotional weight that athletes carry, the vulnerability behind high ambition, and the internal expectations that often go unspoken.
Athletes are skilled at masking: they push through fatigue, hide fear, and try to meet expectations even when their body is struggling.
Because I have personally navigated these environments, I approach consultation with a grounded understanding of athletic identity, training culture, and the psychological demands placed on athletes.
This enables me to support coaches in a practical, empathetic, and deeply connected manner, reflecting the realities of sport.
What These Consultations Offer
Consultation sessions are tailored to your needs and can focus on a specific athlete, a wider team, or your own coaching approach. The aim is not to diagnose or assess but to create clarity, communcation and confidence around athlete wellbeing.
Together, we may explore:
Understanding the emotional signs of RED-S or burnout
Many early indicators are behavioural or relational rather than physical. We look at how identity, fear, and pressure influence training choices.
Supporting conversations around distress, performance changes, or energy concerns
We explore language, timing, tone, and how to create safety so athletes feel able to speak honestly.
Working with perfectionism, fear of failure, and internal pressure
These traits are common in sport and often misunderstood. Understanding them helps prevent escalation.
Supporting neurodivergent athletes
We explore sensory needs, communication differences, emotional intensity, hyperfocus, RSD, and how these influence training behaviours.
Building psychologically safe environments
We think about team culture, coach–athlete dynamics, and how to foster honesty rather than masking.
Exploring your own experiences as a coach
The emotional impact of supporting athletes is often overlooked. Consultation offers space for your reflections, challenges, and wellbeing too.
Who These Sessions Are For
This service is appropriate for:
Coaches (individual, club, or performance level)
Strength & conditioning coaches
Physiotherapists, sports therapists, and medical staff
Nutritionists and sports dietitians
Team managers and support professionals
Parents supporting young athletes
Anyone working closely with athletes experiencing RED-S or emotional overwhelm
You do not need to have a crisis in order to seek support. Many coaches use these consultations as professional development throughout the season.
How Sessions Work
All consultations take place online for accessibility and confidentiality.
The duration is tailored to your needs and the number of athletes. You are welcome to bring:
a specific concern about an athlete
questions about communication or safeguarding
uncertainty around RED-S or burnout
reflections about team dynamics or culture
your own feelings about the responsibility you carry
Sessions are reflective, calm, and grounded. You will never be judged for asking questions or expressing uncertainty. The aim is to think collaboratively and deepen understanding not to criticise or assess your coaching.
My Approach
My approach is collaborative, compassionate, and grounded in both clinical training and lived athletic experience. I work integratively, drawing from person-centred, psychodynamic, trauma-informed, and neurodivergent-aware perspectives.
What this means for you:
You will not be told what you “should” do.
You will not be judged for past coaching decisions.
You will not be expected to diagnose, fix, or rescue athletes.
You will be given a safe place to explore, reflect, and understand.
You will gain insight that enhances both your confidence and your care.
The goal is to support you in supporting your athletes with clarity, empathy, and greater psychological awareness.
Training and background
Postgraduate Diploma in Person-Centred and Psychodynamic Counselling (University of Edinburgh, COSCA-accredited)
BA (Hons) Psychology with Sociology (Edinburgh Napier University).
Clinical placements at Health in Mind, ESMS Schools, and the West End Therapy Centre, working with a diverse range of clients and presenting issues.
Why I Do This Work
Supporting athletes through RED-S holds deep meaning for me. Sport shapes identity, belonging, emotional regulation, and ambition. When something disrupts that relationship, the impact can be profound.
Having someone who understands this both personally and clinically can make the journey feel less isolating. I believe athletes deserve spaces where they can speak honestly, be vulnerable, and be understood beyond performance.
That is the space I aim to provide.
Fees
My fee is £70 per 50-minute counselling session.
If You Support Athletes, You Deserve Support Too
Coaches and support staff carry a tremendous mental load. You are often the first to notice change, the first to offer reassurance, and the one holding responsibility even when situations feel unclear.
You don’t have to navigate these challenges alone.
A reflective space designed specifically for you can make a meaningful difference in how you care for your athletes and yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Consultation focuses on emotional wellbeing, communication, identity, and relational dynamics rather than performance optimisation. While sport psychology often centres on mental skills for performance, these consultations offer space to explore psychological insight, distress, and wellbeing in a broader, more human context.
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No. These sessions are not therapy for athletes and do not involve diagnosing or treating them. The consultation is for you as a coach or support professional, offering guidance, reflection, and understanding around athlete wellbeing.
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Yes. You are welcome to bring concerns about a specific athlete, provided confidentiality and safeguarding are respected. The focus remains on understanding, communication, and support rather than assessment or diagnosis.
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Absolutely. Many coaches use consultation as ongoing professional support and development. You do not need to be dealing with a crisis to benefit from reflective space and psychological insight.
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These consultations explore the psychological and emotional factors that often sit beneath RED-S or burnout, such as identity, pressure, fear, perfectionism, and communication. This helps coaches recognise early signs and approach conversations with greater sensitivity.
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You can book a free 15-minute consultation or enquire directly via the contact form. Reaching out is the first step, and you are welcome to take it at your own pace.