Unit3d w/ B1G Team at Indiana University

Athletes often have their identity wrapped up in who they are as a performer and see themselves as no more than what they do.  Athletics Counselor at Ole Miss, Brian Simmons, LCSW can relate to this as he was an active duty Marine for 20 years before feeling “homeless” upon discharge.  In this episode of Unit3d, Brian talks about how he felt waking up one day having had his identity stripped from...

We all have a unique journey.  Many times in life we find our passion through our experiences and adversity can help us carve out a path forward.  Gabe Marks is one that found direction when he found himself experiencing anxiety, disappointment, and identity issues when his football career came to an end.  The loss of his friend, Tyler Hilinski as well as other mental health struggles while playin...

Spencer Torkelson grew up with a great deal of hype surrounding his baseball career.  He was always known as a baseball player and was drafted as the number one pick in the 2020 draft, going to the Detroit Tigers.  In this episode of Unit3d, Spencer talks about the bizarre end to his college career, how he developed his identity away from baseball, how he handles failure and pressure and how impor...

We feel most comfortable when we can put things in to black-and-white categories.  The reality is that most of life (and all of growth) happens “in the grey”; in those situations and ideas that don’t fit cleanly into a box.  The more we can entertain two thoughts or feelings at once, the more freedom we have to be curious, explore, and learn in those times.  Dr. Chris Bader, of University of Arkan...

We all have a story, and that story continues to unfold.  There are times when we can rewrite our story by looking back with a healthier perspective and we all can take charge of writing how story going forward.  Narrative therapy is so useful in recognizing how our environments have shaped our identity and empower us to shape who we want to become.  Brittany Collins, LPC-S, PhD Candidate utilizes...

Many are familiar with former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf and his story of achieving the dream of being a first round draft pick only to fall hard and become touted as the “biggest bust in NFL history” by some.  Ryan Leaf shared insight into his journey as well as a powerful and unique perspective on working to come back to yourself after falling in to dark places. 

It is very common to begin the year or the new semester with “resolutions”, but we often fail to keep them.  In this first episode of the new year, Ed Darrah of Temple Athletics gives us a unique structure to setting goals and helpful tips to help us stay on track to achieving what we want.

Originally aired January 2021, this amazing meditation is worth repeating at the beginning of every year.  Dean Worsham, LPC  a certified Gong Master and Buddhist practitioner.  In this powerful guided imagery he draws on Native American roots to connect us with that part of ourselves which wants the best for us, holding our wisdom and our strength.  Lose yourself in this meditation so it can lead...

For the holiday season and semester break we will be airing relaxations, meditations, or guided imagery from various mental health clinicians as a way to say “thank you” and “take care of yourself” from us to you.  This week Dr. Jamey Houle offers a loving kindness meditation.   Along with gratitude, I can’t think of a better way to begin a new year! 

For the holiday season and semester break we will be airing relaxations, meditations, or guided imagery from various mental health clinicians as a way to say “thank you” and “take care of yourself” from us to you. This week Dr. Lauren Craig helps us start off the new year on the right foot with gratitude! 

For the holiday season and semester break we will be airing relaxations, meditations, or guided imagery from various mental health clinicians as a way to say “thank you” and “take care of yourself” from us to you.  This week Dr. R. Kweku Smith, with the University of Wisconsin athletics, helps us close out the year with a look back on where we have been.  He then offers a time to relax and recharg...

For the holiday season and semester break we will be airing relaxations, meditations, or guided imagery from various mental health clinicians as a way to say “thank you” and “take care of yourself” from us to you. This week Brian Simmons, LCSW with Ole Miss Athletics helps us relax with a mindful meditation for the holidays to help with escaping the hustle and bustle of the season.

For the holiday season and semester break we will be airing relaxations, meditations or guided imagery from various mental health clinicians as a way to say “thank you” and “take care of yourself” from us to you.  This week Chelsi Battle, MA, doctoral student at Auburn University and our very own editor starts off the series with a bit about meditation and then a progressive muscle relaxation for...

Treating others well is important, particularly as we work to deepen, strengthen and gain friendships.  Dr. LaTisha Bader discusses how to find information about friends and those we meet to treat others the way they want to be treated rather than assuming we know how they want to be treated.  When we consider our differences we can then work to find out how to interact with others to connect them...

Every time someone shares the story of their mental health journey a bit of the stigma around mental illness falls away.  Women’s basketball national championship coach and author, now mental health advocate Joanne P McCallie (Coach P) has written a book Secret Warrior about her experience coaching at the top level of the game  for many years of her career with bipolar disorder.  As Coach P shares...

Relationships are vital to our lives as we all need each other to survive and thrive.  These relationships can be tricky as we go through different stages in our lives and as we travel to different places and move through different roles.  Cindy Aron, LCSW has done a lot of work researching and presenting on the topic of relationships.  There are so many types of relationships that are important t...

From an early age Maddie had her eyes set on playing field hockey at Temple University.  She achieved the goal, but had a tough adjustment to sport in college.  After working and grinding for the summer, she came roaring in to her sophomore year and surprised everyone with how ready she was to compete and lead.  It wasnt long, though, before an injury knocked her off her path.  The mental health i...

The stigma around help seeking is strong, particularly in athletic cultures.  The more we can see professional athletes and those we see as strong and as role models share their stories around struggling and seeking help, the more we will be able to see these behaviors as normal and even desirable.  Licensed Clinical and Sport Psychologist Dr. Carrie Hastings is the mental health clinician for the...

We all know the feeling of trying to deny what is happening, whether its a situation, having to make a decision, or the presence of a heavy emotion.  Typically when we deny that something is there it makes that thing bigger or prolongs the situation.  Radical acceptance is about leaning in to what is in front of us rather than fighting what may be unpleasant or uncomfortable.  In this acceptance w...

We all have areas in our life in which we want to improve and finding the right person for support can be tricky.  Stu Singer owns WellPerformance and helps athletes improve their performance.  He has a framework for helping athletes improve their mental game with mindset workouts that build mental skills.  On this episode of Unit3d we discuss the differences in a mental performance consultant and...

All of us want to impact the world around us and it can be daunting to figure out how to make a difference.  We know from research that being involved in activities that serve others has a number of mental health benefits, among them being: combatting depression, preventing feelings of isolation, increasing confidence, reducing stress, and providing a sense of purpose and meaning.  Student athlete...

 We all grow up with beliefs, values, and identities that we learn from our parents, communities, and environments.  As we grow older and gain independence those beliefs, particularly those about who we should be, can be limiting and constraining, holding us back from who we want to be.  In this episode of Unit3d, Dr. Marie Worsham talks about her journey of challenging what she thought she knew a...

Resilience is what gets us through tough times, but how do we build it?  Arkansas Razorback Gymnastics head coach Jordyn Wieber has won at the highest level of the sport including being the all around world champion and a gold medalist.  Her experiences as a gymnast has built resilience that has carried her through difficult times and has helped her create a coaching philosophy of developing the w...

We all want to know what to expect in any given situation.  Having expectations can help us feel more secure, believing we know what will happen and how we will handle it.  However,  going in with expectations can lead to disappointment, confusion, and disillusionment .  We can be disheartened by unmet expectations we have, not just of situations, but of others and of ourselves.  How do we go in t...

The life of an athlete unfolds over years as one typically begins to play sports at a young age.  Along the way we all receive various messages and our views of ourselves and our world are shaped by these messages and our experiences.  Recognizing different landmarks during our life journey can help us explain beliefs and behaviors we either want to strengthen or change.  Dr. Val Valle has worked...