Therapy for Athletes in New York City
I work with competitive and elite athletes in New York on the pressure, identity, and mental weight that come with a life built around performance.
I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) offering private, in-person therapy on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, and online across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
Therapy for athletes — scope at a glance
Competitive & elite athletes
Performance pressure · identity · transitions
Values-based · practical · honest
New York (in person + online)
When your identity and your performance become the same thing.
Competing at a high level asks for total commitment — which can quietly blur the line between who you are and how you perform. Much of my New York practice is athletes who recognize themselves in patterns like these:
• Performance anxiety or mental blocks that training alone hasn’t fixed
• Pressure from coaches, scouts, family, or yourself that never fully lets up
• Fear around injury, or the anxiety of coming back from one
• A quiet dread about who you are if you’re not competing anymore
The weight most people don't see.
Some of what I see, again and again, in the athletes I work with:
Performance anxiety & mental blocks
Anxiety, overthinking, or a mental block that shows up specifically under competitive pressure.
Identity fused with the sport
A sense that your worth depends entirely on how you perform, win or lose.
Injury & comeback anxiety
Fear of getting hurt, or anxiety about your body and performance after returning from injury.
Pressure to not disappoint
Carrying the expectations of coaches, family, or a team, often more than your own.
Burnout from year-round training
Exhaustion from a schedule that leaves little room for rest or a life outside the sport.
Fear of life after competing
Uncertainty or dread about who you are and what comes next once competing ends.
Not sports psychology tips. The person underneath the performance.
This isn’t mental-performance coaching or a set of pre-game routines. It’s values-based, honest psychotherapy on what’s underneath the performance — separating your self-worth from your results, working through the pressure and mental blocks that training alone hasn’t resolved, and building an identity that holds up whether or not you’re competing. I’ll say plainly what I’m noticing, because the pattern that’s driving the pressure is usually the one that’s hardest to see from inside it.
Who this work is for.
This work is for competitive and elite athletes in New York carrying more pressure and identity weight than shows on the outside — including those navigating injury, comeback, or the transition out of competing altogether. Much of my practice is visible, high-profile athletes who need genuine discretion while they do this work. If that’s where you are, we’ll likely be a good fit.
What clients are saying on Google
See all reviews on Google →
Nicole Trister, LCSW
Atheletes therapy in New York — FAQ
Is this the same as sports psychology or mental performance coaching?
No. Performance coaching typically focuses on mental skills and routines for competition. This is psychotherapy — working on the psychological patterns, identity, and pressure underneath the performance, not just optimizing it.
Do you work with athletes at every level?
I primarily work with competitive and elite athletes, including those navigating injury, comeback, or the transition out of competing. Reach out and we can discuss whether it’s the right fit.
How confidential is this?
Completely. This practice is by referral and inquiry, and discretion for high-profile athletes is central to how I work.
If the pressure has been yours to carry alone, let's talk.
Consultations are held privately and by inquiry.