Husker Sport Psychology

Dial 911 for emergency care if you or another student is in immediate danger of harming oneself or someone else. If you are struggling with these types of thoughts or feelings, but do not intend to act on those thoughts or feelings, you can schedule an appointment to discuss them with a licensed sport psychologist at (402) 472-2408. If you would like to speak with someone immediately but do not plan to harm yourself right now, you can call the UNL crisis hotline, (402) 472-7450, or the national suicide hotline at 1-800-273- TALK (8255).

• Mental Health: All incoming freshmen and transfer student-athletes are required to complete a mental health screening questionnaire. This screening assesses mental health concerns typical of college students. The screening will aid the sport psychologists in determining which student-athletes may benefit from additional meetings to support their mental wellbeing.
• Performance Evaluations: Teams can participate in psychological performance evaluations to help coaches and athletes identify individual strengths, areas for growth, learning styles and coaching preferences. These evaluations are utilized by the coaching and performance staffs to develop a tailored sport training program to optimize an athlete’s potential.

The SP staff is comprised of a multidisciplinary treatment team. Treatment is holistic and comprehensive in nature. Approximately 50-60 percent of all Husker student-athletes seek sport psychology services per year. Consistent with the current NCAA medical initiatives, sport psychology services adhere to a multi-teared approach targeting first the primary healthcare needs of student-athletes (mental health), followed by individual mental skill building and team mental toughness training. To schedule an appointment with one of our psychologists, please call (402) 472-2408.

• Counseling Services: Husker licensed mental health providers offer an array of confidential one-on-one treatment services for student-athletes coping with a mental health condition. Treatment services are available to address anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, communication, attentional problems, substance use, mood changes, sleep difficulty, eating disorders and compulsive behavior among others.
• Psychological Assessment: Our licensed and board certified neuropsychologist offers psychological assessments to help in the diagnosis and treatment recommendations for ADHD, learning disabilities, concussion, dyslexia and complex psychological conditions.
• Psychiatric Treatment: The SP have a network of psychiatric care providers including psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners available for referral in the event a student-athlete might benefit from psychopharmacological care.

• Individual Mental Skills Training: Husker sport psychology staff meet individually with student-athletes to create training plans for performance issues such as: composure, confidence, routines, focus and concentration, motivation, goal setting, physiological arousal regulation, stress management and performance under pressure to assist athletes in achieving peak performance on a consistent basis.
• Biofeedback Training: SP offers biofeedback services for mental health and peak performance. Biofeedback is the use of technology to monitor our physiology. The purpose of biofeedback equipment is to gain a better understanding of how our mind and body operate in unison. In turn, we can use this knowledge to achieve greater control over our mental, emotional, and physical health.
• Team Services: Each team has an assigned sport psychology staff member who collaborates with the sport coaches and performance staff to design a tailored performance program that can include team building/cohesion, leadership development, talent identification and strengths building, mental skills training, psychological assessment and coach consultation.