UCLA Logo Blue Background

Sport Psychology

Acosta Athletic Training Complex
325 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Crisis Information

To schedule an appointment:

  • Send a Teamworks message to Angela Ovakimyan, Athletics Clinical Coordinator
  • Call (310) 825-0768 (CAPS Main line) or walk into the CAPS main office (John Wooden Center West 221 Westwood Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90095-1556) and ask to schedule an appointment. Be sure to share you are a student-athlete.
  • If this is a crisis need, please click HERE.

Individual Services

Individual mental health counseling - short-term confidential culturally-affirming and supportive mental health care  

  • Common concerns include depression, anxiety/overthinking, stress management, low motivation, conflict, trauma, identity and strengths, significant life adjustments, disordered eating and body image concerns. We also provide same-day crisis appointments (see link above). 

Mental performance support - This type of service generally is more solution focused and helps gain aspects of improving the mental game on and off the field. 

Crisis Information

Groups/Workshops

  • Workshops may be single or a series and ongoing workshops on topics such as burnout, self-regulation, values, communication and cohesion, and other elements of teamwork and mental performance.
  • Groups include skills or support groups on areas including injury, body image, anxiety, academic support and focusing, and confidence-building. 

Team

  • Each team is connected to a mental health team member liaison. The liaison role is to bridge connections to teams, be present in spaces, provide support, and offer systematic programming as requested by student-athletes or coaches/staff.
  • Services include team-building, communication, mental performance, identity, crisis response, mediation, and consensus building. Teams are welcome to utilize outside providers and the liaison is not meant to replace, providing secondary support. 

Meet the Staff

Consultations

The mental health staff provides consultation to staff around supporting student-athlete mental health needs, psychology of coaching, and coach integration of mental performance skills, while maintaining appropriate clinical confidentiality as needed.

Assessments

Comprehensive assessments for ADHD. See https://counseling.ucla.edu/services/specialty-services/adhd-services 

Psychophysiological

The staff are able to aid student-athletes in utilization of biofeedback devices to aid in stress reduction, mental recovery, and general wellness through self-directed devices. Biofeedback provides real-time data on aspects of body functioning such as heart rate or brain waves and aids individuals to train these areas for the mentioned benefits. Currently the following devices are available for student-athlete use Inner Balance and InnerBalance Coherence Plus.

Advocacy

Staff are committed to support the well-being needs of student-athletes and are happy to discuss with student-athletes identified needs and improvements from their perspectives, providing a consultative space around challenges, and empowering student-athletes in building skills of advocacy,  and systems change.

Campus Resources

External Resources

Student-Athlete Mental Health Groups