The University of Southern California is a committed to providing student-athletes overall support for their wellbeing. For the past 20 years USC’s Sport Psychology department has provided programming, individual therapy, and educational training to help student-athletes become a “whole healthy person.” It is our philosophy that the healthier you are as a whole person the better you will perform.
All sport psychology clinicians are faculty in the Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of USC, and are also practitioners of USC Student Health Counseling and Mental Health Services.
It is our philosophy that the healthier you are as a whole person the better you will perform.
USC Sport Psychology Team
OUR APPROACH
Athletes as individuals
the whole healthy student athlete is the most consistent peak performer
The USC Sport Psychology team provides services and an environment that supports the student athlete in developing as a healthy and value driven person, student, and athlete.
We are here to support the creation of a healthy environment within which student athletes may flourish. Mental health, educational, and consultation services are embedded in the operating of all parts of USC Athletics, in an integrated and cooperative relationship between all clinicians and the athletic administration and coaches.
Leadership: Dr. Robin Scholefield
Dr. Robin Scholefield has provided counseling to individual student athletes, groups, teams, as well as conjoint sessions for student athletes and coaches/teammates for the past 24 years at the University of Southern California. She is the Director of Culture, Wellbeing & Sport Psychology for USC Athletics; Associate Director, Counseling & Mental Health; and Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine of USC, and oversees the clinical sport psychology for USC Athletics. Her duties include oversight of all counseling, performance enhancement, and team-building services.
She provides consultation to administration and coaches regarding the management and handling of student athletes with mental health or behavioral issues. Robin also oversees athletic department culture, incorporating values-based performance into all aspects of the athletic department. She is a Co-Executive Director of the Performance Science Institute, a research arm of athletics. She has a Ph.D. and Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Alliant University and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Southern California. She won a Bronze Medal in the 4×100 Medley Relay and placed 9th in the 100 meter breaststroke at the 1976 Olympic Games.
“I thought, what am I really doing this for? I’ll admit that at first, I was doing it because other people expected me to do it. Other people said I could accomplish this or that. At the end of the day, that can only keep you going for so long, seeking other people’s validation. I had to look within myself to find something else to keep me going.”
Injury Group Work: Each semester we offer an Injury Group for student-athletes currently recovering from a season ending injury. This provides an opportunity to connect with other athletes recovering from injury and learn mental skills to help facilitate your recovery.
24-hour on-call crisis and emergency services(213-740-9355; ask to be connected to Sport Psych)
Conjoint sessions between family and/or coach and student-athlete
Mental health presentations at orientations
Drug and alcohol counseling, ADHD assessments
Eating disorder team
Referral, coordination and monitoring if higher levels of care (intensive outpatient and/or residential treatment)
Referral to other Counseling and Mental Health groups that are available for student athletes to attend, including body image/eating disorder, anxiety, relationship, bereavement, and substance use.
Training sessions on a variety of topics including suicide prevention; sexual responsibility; domestic and intimate partner violence; alcohol, cannabis and other substances
Services for Athletic Teams
Coach consultations: Tailored consultation services for coaches to improve team dynamics and develop a healthy sport culture.
Administrative consultations: Consultation with administration regarding adherence to ADA 1964 and other laws related to mental health.
Team interventions: Team work that integrates wellbeing, coping with stress and pressures, appropriate behavior and managing conflict, team dynamics/building/bonding, mindfulness, arousal management/emotional tolerance, purposed based performance, and performance skills.
Inclusivity programs and diversity, equity, and inclusion programming and consultation.
In addition to services provided through the specialized Sport Psychology team, all student-athletes have access to the groups, workshops, programs, educational modules and clinical services of the centralized college mental health team, Counseling and Mental Health Services in USC Student Health.
