CBT SoCal’s Dr. Jason von Stietz led trainings on sport psychology and CBT for college counseling center
At CBT SoCal, our therapists often share their expertise by providing didactic trainings for other mental health professionals. Recently, Dr. Jason von Stietz led two separate trainings for the Whittier College Counseling Center (WCCC). Dr. von Stietz previously completed four years of advanced training at WCCC including a two year predoctoral internship, a one year postdoctoral fellowship, and a one year sport psychology fellowship, which was a joint position between the WCCC and the university’s athletic department. Whittier College is a small liberal arts college located in Los Angeles County that serves a diverse population and is designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution. In recent years, approximately 30 percent of Whittier College’s student population has been comprised of student-athletes.
The first of two trainings Dr. von Stietz led was on the topic of sport psychology consulting, in other words, helping athletes to perform at the upper levels of their abilities and enjoy their time as student-athletes. Dr. von Stietz the WCCC counselors how to use mindfulness, mental skills, and team building exercises to help Whittier College’s NCAA athletes improve their mental performance. Dr. von Stietz led the WCCC through an improv comedy exercise, as improv comedy helps athletes to practice feeling psychological pressure while still paying attention to the present moment and focusing on the task at hand.
In the second training, Dr. von Stietz presented on the topic of utilizing CBT and exposure therapy to address anxiety disorders. Dr. von Stietz discussed the importance of collaborating with their clients to discover the client’s underlying negative beliefs. For example, fear of dying might be a common fear. However, different people fear dying for different reasons. Whereas some people might fear dying because it would prevent them from achieving their lifelong goals, others might fear dying because it would leave their young children with no one to care for them. Moreover, Dr. von Stietz discussed how exposure therapy exercises can help people to safely test their core fears and help them to tolerate their anxiety.
If you think sport psychology or CBT and exposure therapy can help you, contact us for a free phone consultation.
