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Unique Support for a Unique kind of Athlete:
EQUESTRIANS
“Our brain craves reducing uncertainty. Uncertainty is the hardest human emotion...then add a horse.”
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As a former collegiate athlete and having spent over twenty years in the competitive equine industry, Kendra has both a personal and professional understanding on how to address the mental, physical, and emotional demands of this unique sport. Equestrian sport psychotherapy is for riders who want to better perform under conditions where they are feeling anxious, easily frustrated, distracted, or are battling some type of fear such as losing, ruining a horse, or getting themselves injured. My approach does not attempt to eliminate anxiety or fear but it creates a mutual understanding of what is realistic and useful vs what is limiting. ​​
Issues I Commonly Treat: ​
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avoiding burnout (for trainers and riders)
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managing injures and setbacks
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overcoming mental blocks
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"It's a losing sport." coping with the unique competition environment
WHAT TO EXPECT
TREATMENT INTERVENTIONS I COMMONLY USE WHEN SUPPORTING EQUESTRIANS
PST
Psychological Skills Training
PST refers to a systematic and consistent practice of mental skills work with clients through three structured phases: acquisition, practice, and self-regulation. Doing this helps clients enhance performance, decrease stress, or achieve greater activity satisfaction.
IEP
Interoceptive Exposure Therapy
IEP has been validated as an effective component of cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment of panic and anxiety disorders. Utilizing various interoceptive exposure exercises with Equestirans can be effective in treating: recovery after a fall, mental blocks, and body tension and reactivity that negatively impacts one's ability to ride effectively
CBT
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT can be a powerful tool in managing stress and focus when used in a performance capacity. For example the client identifies the source of their stress, understand how they respond to it emotionally, and develops a way to respond more constructively. As a result, the client sees threats, more simply, as challenges creating more constructive emotions and higher satisfaction with their performance.