Sports Performance Anxiety Therapy in Nevada | Accelerated Resolution Therapy for Athletes
When Your Body Knows What to Do, But Your Mind Gets in the Way
You practice.
You prepare.
You put in the work.
Yet when it's time to compete, something happens.
Your heart races.
You start overthinking.
You replay mistakes.
You lose confidence.
You begin performing below your abilities, even though you know you're capable of more.
Sports performance anxiety can be incredibly frustrating because it often has very little to do with talent, effort, or preparation.
Many athletes know exactly what they need to do physically.
The challenge is what happens mentally under pressure.
At Apricity Counseling Services, I help athletes throughout Nevada overcome performance anxiety, mental blocks, confidence issues, and fear-based responses using Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), a powerful, evidence-based approach that can help athletes perform with greater confidence, flexibility, and focus.
What Is Sports Performance Anxiety?
Sports performance anxiety occurs when fear, pressure, self-doubt, or past experiences begin interfering with athletic performance.
Athletes often describe:
Overthinking during competition
Fear of making mistakes
Loss of confidence
Difficulty recovering from poor performances
Choking under pressure
Performance slumps
Excessive self-criticism
Fear of letting others down
Anxiety before games, matches, or competitions
Difficulty trusting their training
Many athletes become trapped in a cycle where the fear of struggling becomes the very thing that keeps them stuck.
The Hidden Role of Trauma in Athletic Performance
When people hear the word trauma, they often think of major life events.
But trauma can also include experiences that overwhelm the nervous system and continue influencing performance long after the event has passed.
Examples may include:
A significant injury
A humiliating mistake during competition
Being publicly criticized by a coach
Losing a starting position
Experiencing failure during a high-stakes event
Returning to competition after an injury
Repeated pressure to perform
Fear of disappointing parents, coaches, or teammates
The brain and body remember these experiences.
Even when an athlete consciously wants to move forward, their nervous system may still respond as though the threat is happening now.
This is where Accelerated Resolution Therapy can be particularly effective.
What Is Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)?
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is an evidence-based therapy approach that helps the brain process distressing experiences and reduce the emotional intensity attached to them.
ART uses eye movements and imagery techniques to help the brain process experiences that may be contributing to anxiety, fear, performance blocks, and emotional distress.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, ART does not require repeatedly discussing painful experiences in detail.
Many athletes appreciate ART because it is:
Goal-oriented
Action-focused
Structured
Efficient
Designed to reduce emotional distress connected to past experiences
The goal is not to erase memories.
The goal is to help those memories stop interfering with performance.
How ART Can Help Athletes
Accelerated Resolution Therapy may help athletes who struggle with:
Fear of Failure
When fear becomes stronger than confidence, athletes often begin playing not to lose instead of playing to win.
Performance Blocks
Many athletes know they are capable of more but feel unable to access their skills consistently under pressure.
Recovery After Injury
Injuries can create physical healing and emotional healing challenges.
ART can help process fear, hesitation, and anxiety related to returning to competition.
Confidence Issues
Past experiences can leave athletes questioning their abilities long after the event itself has ended.
Choking Under Pressure
High-pressure situations often activate old fears, memories, and nervous system responses that interfere with performance.
Fear of Repeating a Mistake
One difficult performance can sometimes create months or years of anxiety.
ART helps athletes process those experiences so they no longer feel trapped by them.
Who I Work With
I work with:
Middle school athletes
High school athletes
Collegiate athletes
Adult athletes
Individual sport athletes
Team sport athletes
I commonly help athletes experiencing:
Sports performance anxiety
Competition anxiety
Mental blocks
Confidence concerns
Fear of failure
Injury recovery challenges
Perfectionism
Performance-related stress
Frequently Asked Questions
Is sports performance anxiety common?
Yes. Athletes at every level experience performance anxiety. The issue is not whether anxiety exists. The issue is how much influence it has over performance.
Can ART improve athletic performance?
ART is not performance coaching. However, reducing anxiety, fear responses, emotional blocks, and unresolved distress often allows athletes to perform closer to their actual abilities.
Do I have to talk about difficult experiences in detail?
No. One of the benefits of ART is that extensive disclosure is not required.
Is ART helpful after a sports injury?
Yes. ART can help athletes process emotional distress, fear, hesitation, and confidence concerns that sometimes remain after physical recovery.
Can teenagers use ART?
Absolutely. ART can be highly effective for adolescent athletes struggling with sports anxiety, confidence issues, or performance blocks.
Areas Served
In-person therapy is available in Fallon, Nevada.
Telehealth therapy is available throughout Nevada, including Reno, Sparks, Carson City, Henderson, Summerlin, and surrounding communities, as well as throughout Idaho.
I am available to travel to schools, clubs, tournaments, and athletic organizations to provide individual support.
Travel fees and related expenses may apply depending on location, scheduling, and scope of services.
Begin Healing With Apricity Counseling Services
I help athletes overcome sports performance anxiety, mental blocks, confidence concerns, and fear-based responses using Accelerated Resolution Therapy and other trauma-informed approaches.
I offer:
• In-person therapy in Fallon, Nevada
• Telehealth therapy throughout Nevada and Idaho
• Evidence-based Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
• A compassionate, performance-focused approach tailored to your goals
If you're ready to spend less time battling your mind and more time trusting your training, contact Apricity Counseling Services to learn whether Sports Performance Anxiety Therapy and Accelerated Resolution Therapy may be right for you.