Sports Psychology Therapists in Metairie, LA

I was a D-1 college baseball player in my former life so I bring a lot of experience in the area of sports psychology. I’ve worked with high school and college athletes of various sports.

Brad provides trauma-informed sports performance counseling and sports psychology coaching for athletes seeking to improve focus, confidence, consistency, and performance under pressure. He works with athletes across multiple sports, including golf, basketball, soccer, baseball, ice hockey, swimming, tennis, and football, supporting both competitive and recreational performers. Many athletes struggle with performance anxiety, confidence blocks, inconsistency, fear of failure, difficulty performing under pressure, or mental barriers that interfere with reaching their full potential. These challenges can affect reaction time, decision-making, focus, emotional regulation, and overall performance outcomes. Brad takes a holistic, performance-focused approach to sports psychology, helping athletes strengthen mental resilience, improve concentration, regulate performance anxiety, and develop a more confident and stable mindset in competition. Therapy and coaching are tailored to the individual athlete’s goals, sport demands, and competitive environment. As an experienced trauma therapist and EMDR therapist, Brad integrates EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), mental performance strategies, visualization techniques, emotional regulation skills, and holistic coaching approaches to help athletes identify and reduce mental blocks that may interfere with peak performance. This can include working through past experiences, performance-related stress, or underlying emotional patterns that impact confidence and focus. Sessions may focus on building pre-performance routines, improving focus under pressure, enhancing recovery from mistakes, and developing a strong, consistent “competitive mindset.” Athletes also work on balancing training demands with mental and emotional well-being to support sustainable performance and prevent burnout. Brad’s approach is collaborative and individualized, helping athletes create practical mental strategies they can apply in training and competition. The goal is not only improved performance outcomes, but also greater confidence, enjoyment of the sport, and long-term mental resilience. With the right mental training and support, athletes can overcome performance barriers, unlock greater consistency, and compete with clarity, confidence, and control under pressure.

Elite performance isn't just physical. The athletes and coaches who sustain long careers are the ones who give the same attention to their mental game that they give to their physical training. I work with college and professional athletes, high school competitors, and coaches navigating performance anxiety, burnout, identity after injury or retirement, team conflict, and the relentless pressure to perform. I've competed as a distance runner and tennis player, so I understand firsthand what it means to push through mental resistance when your body and mind are working against each other. My approach is direct, practical, and built around your specific competitive context.

As a former NCAA Division I athlete, I have learned a lot about mental game and importance of a healthy and strong mindset in Sports. I attended extensive training with Tony Robbins and Mastery University that equipped me with specific and practical tools focused on improved performance.

Athletic performance breaks down between the ears before it breaks down on the field. Choke moments, performance anxiety, inconsistency under pressure these are subconscious patterns, not skill gaps. I work with competitive athletes to rebuild the identity they compete from: new pressure responses, new pre-performance baselines, and a nervous system calibrated for execution when it counts most.

Metairie is the largest suburb of New Orleans, sitting in Jefferson Parish just west of the city, and its mental health landscape is inseparable from the legacy of Hurricane Katrina, which flooded large parts of the area in 2005 and left lasting trauma across a community that rebuilt slowly and with ongoing grief. As a historically more prosperous suburb of New Orleans, Metairie has higher rates of private insurance coverage and more accessible private therapy than the city itself, but ongoing climate anxiety and the recurring stress of subsequent storms remain significant presenting concerns. Ochsner Health System and Tulane University's medical programs provide behavioral health services in the broader New Orleans metro, and a private therapy sector serves Metairie residents directly. Common therapy concerns include hurricane-related trauma and grief, climate and weather anxiety, family stress, and the complex community grief of a region still navigating recovery decades after Katrina.

Gender ID

	64%	Male
	36%	Female

Session Type

	50%	In Person and Online
	40%	Online Only
	10%	In Person Only

Top Treatment Approaches

40%	Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
40%	Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
40%	Family Systems Therapy
40%	Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian)
30%	Gestalt Therapy
30%	Internal Family Systems (IFS)
30%	Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)

Ages Served

100%	Adult
70%	Young Adult
60%	Teen
50%	Senior
10%	Children

Client Focus

70%	Men
70%	Women
60%	Christian
60%	Jewish
50%	Military / Veterans

Sports Psychology therapists in Metairie, LA

Vin Lamia

Clear Path Counseling and Wellness Center

Melissa LaCour

Sara Pesic

Jay Shaw