Structured, counselling-informed sessions that may focus on the priorities your team identifies, such as communication, shared routines, attention and preparation. Clinicians include Registered Psychologists and Registered Provisional Psychologists regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). Psychologists follow the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists. In person in Edmonton and St. Albert, with virtual sessions across Alberta.

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You Might Be Wondering Whether a Sports Performance Team Program Is Right for Your Team

You may not be sure your team's situation calls for outside support at all. It might feel like a rough patch that a good practice or a win will sort out. You might also worry that bringing in a mental health professional will make athletes think something is wrong with them.

You might recognize some of this: a team that looks sharp in practice but tightens up when the game matters, small frustrations between teammates that start showing up on the bench or in the group chat, athletes going quiet after a losing streak, an injury or a lineup change, and nobody quite knowing what to say.

Patterns like these are common when a group shares pressure, high stakes and a packed schedule. They make sense as reactions to a demanding environment. They do not mean the team is broken, or that any one athlete is failing. Some readers are coaches or organizers. Some are athletes. Some are parents gathering information for a young player.

If you are trying to work out whether a structured team program could be useful, you may wish to read on and see what it involves, what it does not do, and how privacy works in a team setting.

Who We Help

This program may be a good fit for:

• sport teams and clubs in the Edmonton and St. Albert area, or elsewhere in Alberta through virtual sessions
• coaches and team staff who want structured time to talk about communication, preparation or how the group handles pressure
• teams going through a change, such as a new season, a new coach, a roster shift or a hard run of results
• athletes who want to explore how team life fits with school, work, relationships and the rest of their lives
• parents and guardians looking into options for a youth team

This program may not be the right fit for:

• Crisis situations. If someone is at immediate risk, please use the crisis resources below.
• Legal, forensic or disciplinary needs, such as an investigation into team conduct. These needs are outside this counselling service. Psychological assessments are a separate service and are not part of this program.
• Concerns that a team member has harmed or abused someone. These call for a safety and reporting response first. A team program is not the setting for that work, and the administrative team can talk with you about other options.
• Medical, injury, concussion or return-to-play decisions. These belong with a physician or another appropriate regulated health professional.
• Coaching, tactics or skill instruction. Clinicians do not replace your coaching staff.

An athlete who wants one-on-one support may be better served by individual counselling. Our sports psychology counselling page describes that option.

Crisis Guidance

This program is not designed for urgent or emergency support. If someone may be in immediate danger or needs urgent help, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

• 911 for immediate danger
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 (24/7)
• 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 988 (24/7)
• Kids Help Phone, for young people: 1-800-668-6868, or text CONNECT to 686868 (24/7)

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What This Service Is

The Sports Performance Team Program is counselling-informed support for a team as a group. The starting point is a conversation about your team's context, goals, participants and preferred format. From there, a clinician works with the team to build a plan that is practical and fits the purpose you have agreed on together.

Sessions may focus on team-identified priorities such as communication, shared routines, attention and preparation. They can also make room for setbacks, role changes, and the balance between sport and the rest of life. Which topics are included is decided with you, not set in advance. You can read more about how we work on our Our Unique Approach page.

This program is not:

• a legal service, an investigation or crisis intervention
• a psychological assessment, and it does not include assessments (psychological assessments are a separate service)
• an evaluation of individual athletes, or a tool for selection or playing-time decisions
• a replacement for coaching, medical assessment, concussion care, rehabilitation or emergency services

The pace is set by the participants, not the clinician. No one has to share personal experiences in front of the group, and each athlete chooses how much to say.

Privacy works differently in a team setting than in individual counselling. Before services begin, the clinician will review consent, confidentiality and the limits of privacy for the planned format. The details are in the confidentiality section further down this page.

Clinicians work within the scope of their own registration and training. Concussion is a relevant health and safety consideration in sport and recreation (Government of Canada, n.d.). Questions about injuries, concussion, return to sport, medication or physical health should go to an appropriate regulated health professional.

Signs Pressure and Team Strain May Be Affecting Your Team

These are everyday patterns, not a checklist for a diagnosis. A team, or individual athletes on it, might notice:

• dreading games that used to feel exciting
• replaying mistakes long after the final whistle
• trouble holding focus when the score is close or the crowd is loud
• tension between teammates that never quite gets talked about
• athletes pulling back from the group after a setback or an injury
• people feeling unsure of their role or where they stand on the team
• a tight stomach, poor sleep or restless energy before competitions
• feeling stretched thin between sport, school, work and home
• a team culture where it feels hard to say you are struggling

These are common reactions to pressure, change and shared stakes. They do not mean something is permanently wrong with a team or with anyone on it. Structured time to talk and plan together may help a group make sense of what is happening and decide what it wants to work on.

How Treatment Works Here

• Find your therapist. Use the Match with a Therapist tool or browse Our Therapists. You can also call the administrative team at 780-904-4880 to ask which clinicians currently offer the team program.
• Book your first session. The first session covers confidentiality, consent and goals. For a team, this conversation often starts with whoever is organizing the program. It can cover the sport, participant ages, team size, scheduling, and whether a team format, individual counselling or a mix of both fits best.
• Build your plan together. The clinician and the team agree on priorities, format, and how any communication with coaches, organizers or parents will work. The plan is built together, and participants have a say at every stage.
• Ongoing sessions. Sessions are typically weekly or bi-weekly, adjusted as needed. Individual sessions are 50 minutes. The length and format of team sessions are confirmed during planning.
• Progress check-ins. The clinician reviews progress with you regularly, and the plan changes as the team's needs change.

There is no fixed number of sessions. The work is collaborative, and the team can adjust or pause the plan at any point. You can read more on our Getting Started with Therapy page.

Evidence and Approaches

This section describes only what our current sources support. In Canada, sport-related mental health initiatives already exist, such as Talk Today (Canadian Mental Health Association, British Columbia [CMHA BC], n.d.).

Psychological Skills Approaches in Sport

What it helps with: Team-identified priorities such as attention, preparation, shared routines and responding to pressure.

Evidence summary: Psychological interventions are an established area of sport-performance research. A systematic review and meta-analysis indexed in PubMed has examined the effects of psychological interventions on athletic performance (PubMed, n.d.).

Limitations: The detailed findings of that review were not available in the materials used for this page, so we make no claim about whether, or how much, these approaches change performance. Results also vary between people and between teams.

What Results to Expect

Change in a team rarely moves in a straight line. A group may have a good stretch, then a hard week, then find its footing again. Setbacks along the way are common and do not mean the work has failed.

Some teams and athletes notice changes fairly early. Others find the work is slower and longer-term. No therapy or team program can guarantee a result, and taking part does not guarantee a particular performance or team outcome. Each athlete will take something different from it, and some may not find it useful.

Factors that can influence outcomes include:

• what the team is dealing with, and for how long
• current circumstances, such as the stage of the season, the schedule and roster changes
• how willing participants are to take part
• the fit between the team and the clinician

Fit matters. If the approach or the clinician does not suit your team, you can change either one, and the administrative team can help.

Confidentiality and Privacy

What is shared in counselling is confidential, within limits set by law and professional standards. Psychologists at Wholesome Psychology are regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) and follow the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists.

Two Alberta privacy laws are relevant. The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) generally applies to private clinics like ours and sets rules for how personal information is collected, used and disclosed. The Health Information Act (HIA) governs health information held by health custodians, such as Alberta Health Services and physicians. Psychologists are not currently designated custodians under the HIA, but it can apply when a psychologist works for or with a custodian.

There are legal limits to confidentiality. A clinician may need to share information without consent when:

• there is a risk of serious harm to a participant or to someone else
• there is reason to believe a child is being abused or neglected, which must be reported under Alberta law
• a court orders the release of information

Team settings add a few more points:

• A clinician cannot promise that other participants will keep what is said in a group private. The clinician can help the group agree on ground rules about this at the start.
• Private participant information is not automatically shared with coaches or team organizers. Any communication with coaches, organizers or parents is discussed in advance and guided by participant consent and applicable privacy obligations.
• When a team, club or organization arranges or pays for the program, the clinician will clarify at the start who the client is and what, if anything, is reported back.
• For athletes under 18, a parent or guardian is usually involved in consent.

The clinician will explain these limits clearly in the first session. You are welcome to ask questions about privacy before anyone shares anything personal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will anyone have to describe what happened in detail, in front of the team?

No. Participants decide how much they share, and the pace is theirs. Team sessions can focus on present-day patterns, like how the group communicates before a game, rather than on detailed accounts of past events. If an athlete wants to talk about something personal, individual sessions may be a better setting.

Is what athletes share kept private?

Counselling is confidential, with legal exceptions for serious risk of harm, suspected abuse or neglect of a child, and court orders. In a group, the clinician cannot control what other participants repeat, and nothing is automatically shared with coaches or organizers. The confidentiality section above explains how PIPA, the HIA and professional standards apply.

How many sessions will we need?

There is no fixed answer. Some teams want a short block of sessions around one goal. Others prefer support that continues across a season. Progress is reviewed regularly, and the plan can change.

What if the therapist is not the right fit?

Fit matters, for a team and for individual athletes. If it does not feel right, the administrative team can help you find a different clinician. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can we access the program online?

Yes. Virtual sessions are available across Alberta, and the same confidentiality standards apply. The format and the technology are discussed during planning, and some teams may prefer to meet in person at one of our locations. Our online counselling page has more detail.

Will the coach or club hear what individual athletes say?

Not automatically. Any communication with coaches, organizers or parents is planned in advance and guided by participant consent and privacy obligations. If a club is paying for the program, the clinician will be clear at the start about what, if anything, is reported back, such as scheduling or other logistical updates.

Does this program cover concussion or return-to-play decisions?

No. Concussion is a relevant health and safety consideration in sport (Government of Canada, n.d.), but counselling does not replace medical assessment, concussion care or sport-specific medical clearance. Please speak with a physician or another appropriate regulated health professional about injuries and return to sport.

Can an individual athlete get support separately from the team?

Yes. Individual counselling is a separate option from the team program. Our sports performance enhancement page describes individual work, and the administrative team can help you decide which option suits you.

Meet Your Clinicians

Our clinicians include Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Canadian Certified Counsellors, Mental Health Therapists and Student Therapists. All psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Registered Provisional Psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist. Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW), and Student Therapists are master's-level practicum students.

Clinicians bring different training and interests, and not every clinician offers the team program. You can read individual profiles on Our Therapists, use the Match with a Therapist tool, or call the administrative team at 780-904-4880 to ask who currently works with teams.

Children and Youth

Many sport teams include young athletes. Wholesome Psychology offers counselling for children, adolescents and young people, and clinicians who work with younger clients use approaches suited to their age and stage. You can learn more on our child and youth counselling page and our teen mental health page.

For youth teams, a parent or guardian is usually involved in consent. With that consent, clinicians work with caregivers, and with coaches where appropriate, to support a healthy setting for the young people involved. The legal duty to report suspected abuse or neglect of a child applies in every format.

Taking the Next Step

If you would like to learn more, you can take the next step in whichever way suits you:

• Book a session online through our booking system
• Use the Match with a Therapist tool
• Call 780-904-4880
• Email info@wholesomepsychology.ca
• Read Getting Started with Therapy

The administrative team can help clarify current program options, scheduling, fees and therapist availability. Starting the conversation is enough.

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

References

• Canadian Mental Health Association, British Columbia. (n.d.). Talk Today.
• Government of Canada. (n.d.). Concussion: Sport and recreation. Canada.ca.
• PubMed. (n.d.). Effects of psychological interventions to enhance athletic performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis.