A confidential space for athletes to work through performance pressure, focus, confidence, motivation, and the shifts that come with high-level sport. Provided by registered clinicians at Wholesome Psychology. All psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Sessions are available in person in Edmonton and St. Albert, and virtually across Alberta.

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You Might Be Wondering Whether Elite Sports Performance Counselling Is Right for You

You might be questioning whether what you are dealing with is a real reason to talk to someone, or just part of being an athlete. A lot of people in competitive sport assume they should be able to manage the mental side on their own, and they wait until things feel much harder before reaching out.

Maybe you keep replaying a single mistake long after the event is over. Maybe your focus slips at the moments that matter most, or you train as hard as ever while the enjoyment quietly drains out of a sport you used to love. Some people notice that the pressure does not switch off when they leave the field, the gym, or the pool.

These are common ways the mind and body respond to high demands, visibility, and the weight of expectation. They do not mean you are not cut out for your sport, and they do not mean something is permanently wrong with you. They are the kinds of reactions that make sense when a lot is being asked of you.

You may wish to read on to see what this kind of support looks like and whether it feels relevant to where you are right now.

Who We Help

This service may be a good fit if you are:

• An adult athlete carrying performance pressure, focus difficulties, or confidence changes after setbacks.
• A youth athlete, or a family supporting one, where sport stress or a transition is part of the concern.
• Competing at a university, club, provincial, national, or professional level.
• Moving into, through, or out of high-performance sport, including return to sport after time away.
• Wanting support with motivation, routines, sport and life balance, identity, or working alongside coaches and teammates.

This service may not be the right fit in the following situations:

• You are in crisis or unsafe. If you are in immediate danger or cannot stay safe, please use the crisis resources below rather than waiting for a counselling appointment.
• You need a formal assessment or a report for selection, eligibility, or legal purposes. Counselling is not an assessment or a legal service. Psychological assessments are offered separately at Wholesome Psychology and are not part of this counselling service.
• You need medical or rehabilitation care for a concussion, pain, or a physical injury. Those needs sit with medical and rehabilitation providers, not with counselling.

If You Need Help Right Now

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service. If you need immediate support, please reach out to one of the following:

• 911 if you or someone else is in immediate danger.
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 (24/7).
• Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741.

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What This Service Is

Elite Sports Performance Counselling is talk-based counselling for people in demanding sport environments. It offers a confidential space to reflect on pressure, focus, confidence, motivation, routines, setbacks, and transitions, and to build practical strategies that support both performance-related functioning and overall wellbeing.

It is helpful to be clear about what this service is not. It is not a psychological assessment, a diagnosis service, medical treatment, physical rehabilitation, a legal or investigative process, or a crisis service. Psychological assessments are a separate service. This page does not include assessment, and counselling here will not produce a diagnosis or a formal report.

The pace is set by you, not the therapist. You decide what to bring into the room and when. Sessions are private within clear legal and ethical limits, which are explained in full further down this page, and your clinician will talk through how confidentiality works before you share anything personal.

Signs Performance Pressure May Be Affecting You

People reach out for many reasons, and there is no single way this shows up. You may recognize some of the following experiences:

• Tension or dread in the lead-up to training or competition that feels hard to settle.
• Focus that slips at key moments, or a mind that races when you want it quiet.
• Replaying mistakes or losses long after they are over.
• A drop in confidence after an error, an injury, or time away from sport.
• Motivation that comes and goes, or training that feels like a chore rather than a choice.
• Trouble switching off, with sleep, appetite, or recovery affected by sport stress.
• Strain in relationships with coaches, teammates, parents, or people outside sport.
• Questions about who you are when sport takes up so much of daily life.

Recognizing some of these patterns does not mean something is permanently wrong with you, and it does not point to a diagnosis. These are common reactions to high pressure and change, and structured support can help you understand them and respond to them differently.

How Counselling Works Here

• Find your therapist. You can use the Match with a therapist tool or browse profiles on the Our Therapists page. Our admin team can also help you choose. Call 780-904-4880 if you would like guidance.
• Book your first session. The first appointment covers confidentiality and consent, the reasons you are reaching out, and an early discussion of your goals and what fit you are looking for.
• Build your plan together. You and your therapist shape a plan based on what matters to you. The plan is co-created, and your input guides the direction.
• Ongoing sessions. Sessions are usually weekly or every other week and can be adjusted to suit your schedule and your sport calendar. Each session runs 50 minutes.
• Progress check-ins. Your therapist reviews progress with you regularly, and the plan adapts as your needs and circumstances change.

There is no fixed number of sessions. The work is collaborative, and your voice matters at every stage. For a fuller overview of how to begin, see Getting Started with Therapy.

Evidence and Approaches

The research base for counselling in elite sport is still developing, and the strongest evidence speaks to general patterns rather than to guaranteed results for any one person. The approaches below are described with that in mind. Your therapist will draw on what fits your goals rather than applying a fixed protocol.

Mental Performance and Psychological Skills Support

What it helps with: Building focus, preparation and reset routines, helpful self-talk, goal clarity, and ways to work with performance pressure.

Evidence summary: A systematic review and meta-analysis of psychological interventions in sport found that such interventions may support some performance-related processes and outcomes for some athletes (Reinebo et al., 2023). The review did not establish that any single approach works best, or that the benefits apply to every athlete or sport.

Limitations: Effects vary by person, intervention, and setting, and the available evidence does not allow specific or guaranteed predictions about results.

Cognitive and Behavioural Strategies for Stress and Coping

What it helps with: Managing worry, pre-competition stress, and distress that can spill over into sleep, mood, and daily functioning.

Evidence summary: Clinical guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence ([NICE], 2014) supports structured cognitive and behavioural approaches for anxiety and related distress. This guidance addresses general anxiety and coping rather than sport performance specifically.

Limitations: Because this guidance is not sport-specific, it informs how counselling can support coping and wellbeing, not claims about improving athletic performance.

Counselling for Wellbeing Alongside Sport

What it helps with: Supporting overall wellbeing, recovery habits, identity, and balance, so that sport sits within a fuller life rather than crowding it out.

Evidence summary: Public health guidance notes that physical activity supports general health and mood across the lifespan (Public Health Agency of Canada [PHAC], 2018). Counselling can support wellbeing alongside performance goals, with attention to the whole person rather than results alone.

Limitations: This is general wellbeing and public health framing, not a performance-specific claim, and individual benefit varies.

What Results to Expect

Change in counselling is rarely a straight line. Some weeks feel like progress, others feel slower, and that back and forth is a normal part of the work.

Some people find relief from just 2-3 sessions, while others prefer longer-term work to build and maintain new habits. What unfolds depends on several things, including the nature of what you are working through, your current circumstances and demands, and how well you and your therapist fit together.

No therapy can guarantee an outcome, and counselling will not promise better rankings, selection, contracts, or results. Therapeutic fit matters a great deal, and if an approach or a clinician is not working for you, changing therapist or direction is always an option.

Confidentiality and Privacy

What you share in counselling is kept confidential. Your clinician works within the professional and ethical standards that apply to their regulated or certifying body, including the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) for psychologists, the Canadian Counselling and Psychological Association (CCPA) for Certified Canadian Counsellors, and the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) for registered social workers, as applicable, and under Alberta privacy law, including the Health Information Act (HIA) and the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

There are a small number of legal limits to confidentiality. Your clinician may be required to act or disclose information in these situations:

• When there is a risk of serious harm to you or to someone else.
• When there is suspected abuse or neglect of a child, which carries a mandatory duty to report under Alberta law.
• When a court orders the release of records.

In sport, families, coaches, teams, or other professionals are sometimes involved. Information is not shared with a coach, parent, team, or anyone else without a clear consent process, and the boundaries around any such contact are discussed openly before anything is shared (Canadian Psychological Association [CPA], n.d.). For youth clients, privacy and the role of caregivers are reviewed at the start.

Your clinician will explain these limits clearly in the first session, and you are welcome to ask questions about confidentiality before you share anything personal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to describe every detail of what is going wrong in my sport?

No. You set the pace and decide what to share and when. Many people find it helpful to work with present-day patterns, such as focus, pressure, and routines, rather than going through a detailed account of everything that has happened. You never have to share more than you are ready to.

Is what I share kept private?

Yes, within clear legal and ethical limits. The main exceptions involve a risk of serious harm, suspected child abuse or neglect, or a court order. Information is not shared with coaches, teams, or family without a clear consent process. You can read the full explanation in the Confidentiality and Privacy section above.

How many sessions will I need?

There is no fixed answer. Some people find relief from just 2-3 sessions, while others choose longer-term work. Your therapist reviews progress with you regularly so the plan can change as your needs do.

What if the therapist is not the right fit?

Fit matters, and it is normal to want a clinician you feel comfortable with. If the match does not feel right, our admin team can help you find a different therapist, and you can also use the Match with a therapist tool. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can I access counselling online?

Yes. Virtual sessions are available across Alberta, and the same confidentiality standards apply as for in-person sessions. Many people mix in-person and virtual appointments around their training and travel.

Can my coach, parent, or team be involved?

Sometimes, and only with your consent. If shared sessions or any communication are being considered, your therapist will discuss consent, privacy, and role boundaries clearly before any information is exchanged. The default is that your counselling stays private.

Is this the same as a psychological assessment?

No. This is counselling, not an assessment. It does not produce a diagnosis or a formal report for selection, eligibility, or legal purposes. Psychological assessments are a separate service at Wholesome Psychology.

Meet Your Clinicians

Wholesome Psychology works with a range of clinician types, including Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Certified Canadian Counsellors, Mental Health Therapists, and Student Therapists. All psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Certified Canadian Counsellors are regulated by the Canadian Counselling and Psychological Association (CCPA). Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW). Registered Provisional Psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist.

Many clinicians have training relevant to performance, stress, and wellbeing in sport, as well as related areas such as anxiety, confidence, and life transitions. You can review individual profiles on the Our Therapists page, or use the Match with a therapist tool for help choosing. If you would like to talk it through first, call the admin team at 780-904-4880.

Children and Youth

Sport stress and performance pressure can affect young athletes too, and families often reach out for support around this. Wholesome Psychology offers counselling for children, adolescents, and young people, including support related to performance-related stressors and transitions in sport.

Therapists working with younger clients use age-appropriate approaches and work alongside caregivers to support a steady, encouraging environment around the child. This counselling is not an assessment or diagnosis service. You can learn more on the Child and Youth Mental Health page.

Take the Next Step When You Are Ready

If you would like to explore this kind of support, here are a few ways to begin:

• Book a session online
• Match with a therapist
• Call: 780-904-4880
• Email: info@wholesomepsychology.ca
• Read Getting Started with Therapy

You may also want to look at related pages such as Sports Psychology and Sports Performance Enhancement.

New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Starting the conversation is enough.

References

• Reinebo, G., Alfonsson, S., Jansson-Fröjmark, M., Rozental, A., & Lundgren, T. (2023). Effects of psychological interventions to enhance athletic performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 54(2), 347. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-023-01931-z
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2014). Anxiety disorders (Quality Standard QS53). https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs53
• Public Health Agency of Canada. (2018). Physical activity: Being physically active for your health. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/being-active/physical-activity-your-health.html
• Canadian Psychological Association, Sport and Exercise Psychology Section. (n.d.). Sport and exercise psychology. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://www.cpa.ca/sections/sportandexercisepsychology/
• College of Alberta Psychologists. (2023). Standards of Practice. https://www.cap.ab.ca/