Mental Performance for Athletes

Built for the
next play.

You've put in the physical work. You have the talent. Now it's time to build the mental foundation that lets all of it show up when it counts. I work with athletes to develop the mental resilience, emotional skills, and self-awareness that turn potential into consistent performance, in the biggest moments, through the hard stretches, and for the long run.

Start a Conversation

Does any of this sound familiar?

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You perform well in practice but something shifts when the stakes are real.
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A slump or injury has shaken your confidence in ways you haven't been able to shake.
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You're trying to move to the next level and know the mental game is the missing piece.
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The pressure of performing professionally is affecting you off the field too.
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You're facing the end of your career and aren't sure who you are without the sport.

As a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with years of experience working with athletes and families, I bring something most performance coaches don't have: a deep clinical understanding of what's actually happening beneath the surface. I know how the nervous system responds under pressure, how anxiety builds, and what it takes to help someone work through it rather than around it.

Sports have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. The lessons I learned as a competitor, how to handle pressure, how to fail and keep going, how to show up when it matters, are at the core of how I work with athletes today.

Working with athletes and families as a therapist, I hear the same themes over and over. The spiral that follows a mistake, the self-doubt that comes with a slump, and the quiet fear that your best might not be enough are not incidental to this work. They are central to it.

What makes this work different is that I'm not just a former athlete with a coaching philosophy. I'm a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with years of experience helping people navigate anxiety, pressure, trauma, and major life transitions. I understand what's happening in an athlete's mind and body under stress not just from having lived it, but from the science of how the nervous system actually works. The athlete who understands the game and the clinician who understands the person — that combination is what I bring to every session.

My work draws on two approaches that are particularly powerful for athletes. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps athletes stop fighting their thoughts and feelings and instead focus on what they can control: their actions and their values. Rather than trying to eliminate nerves or self-doubt, ACT teaches athletes to make room for those feelings and perform anyway. Mindful Self-Compassion gives athletes the ability to respond to mistakes and setbacks the way a great teammate would. With honesty, but without the harsh self-criticism that breaks confidence and disrupts performance.

I work with young athletes, college athletes, and professional athletes, and with the families and organizations supporting them. My goal is simple: help athletes reach the next level mentally healthy. That means performing well, but it also means loving the game, having a life beyond it, and being ready for the day it's over.

Who I Work With

Whether you're in the game
or supporting someone who is.

This work meets athletes and families wherever they are. From high school athletes with their sights set on the next level, to college and professional athletes performing under real stakes.

College & Professional Athletes

The stakes are higher, the margin for error smaller. Whether you're trying to move up, stay consistent, or navigate the end of a career, the mental game matters more at this level, not less.

High School Athletes Moving Up

You have the talent and the drive to compete at the next level. The mental skills you build now will determine how far that talent takes you. This is where that work starts.

Parents & Families

You want to support your athlete without adding to the pressure. You want to know what to say after a hard game, and what not to. This work helps your family become the safe place your athlete needs to come home to.

How We Work Together

Services

1

Individual Athlete Sessions

One-on-one work focused on what's getting in the way. Anxiety, overthinking, loss of confidence, slumps, or the pressure of performing at a high level. Sessions are grounded in clinical expertise and a real understanding of what competitive sport demands.

2

Family & Parent Coaching

Helping parents show up for their athlete in the ways that actually help. Understanding anxiety, navigating the hard conversations, and making home the one place where the pressure lifts.

3

Team & Group Workshops

Sessions designed for teams or cohorts of athletes built around shared skills. Handling mistakes, managing nerves before big moments, and building a team culture where athletes look out for each other.

4

Athletic Department Consulting

Working with coaches and athletic departments to build programs and cultures that treat athlete mental health and performance as one thing, not competing priorities.

5

Therapy for Athletes

For athletes dealing with anxiety, depression, burnout, or the emotional weight that builds up around high-level competition, including the transition out of sport, Mark provides therapy alongside his performance work.

What an athlete learns on the field, how to let go, stay present, and respond instead of react, becomes a skill for everything beyond it.

Let's talk about what your athlete needs.

Whether you're a parent who isn't sure where to start, an athlete ready to do the mental work, or a program looking to bring this to your team, reach out. The first conversation is just that. A conversation.

Email
mark@veldkampco.com
Phone
424-229-1791
Location
San Diego, California

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  • About Mark
  • Workplace Trauma Consulting
  • Mental Performance for Athletes
    • Therapy Services
    • Anxiety Therapy
    • Grief and Loss Therapy
    • Trauma Therapy
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Mark Veldkamp

1081 Westwood Blvd Suite 235
Los Angeles, CA, 90024
424-229-1791
Workplace Trauma Consultant

Your Custom Text Here

Mark Veldkamp

  • About Mark
  • Workplace Trauma Consulting
  • Mental Performance for Athletes
  • Therapy
    • Therapy Services
    • Anxiety Therapy
    • Grief and Loss Therapy
    • Trauma Therapy

Mark veldkamp

2727 Camino Del Rio South, Suite 140

San Diego, CA 92108

Phone: 424-229-1791

Email: mark@veldkampco.com