My guest this week is my friend and fellow psychologist Dr. Mitch Greene, who was on the podcast way back on episode 28. I love talking with Mitch, and this conversation was no exception. We focused on the many mental health challenges we’re facing related to COVID and the shutdowns, including for the athletes that Mitch works with in his sport psychology practice. I’m guessing you’ll find a lot you can relate to in this discussion.

Topics we touched on included:

• Effects of the pandemic on therapy practice
• My guest’s specializing in sports and high performance
• Athletes who have lost an entire season because of the pandemic
• The blessing of having teammates who understand
• Asking what is important now, and meeting this moment as it is
• Positive changes from the pandemic related to sports and mental health
• The runner Alexi Poppas sharing about her depression, which was exacerbated by the pandemic
• The importance of recognizing that athletes are people too, and have mental health needs
• Michael Phelps’s openness about his mental health struggles
• Signs to look for that a loved one might be having a mental health crisis
• The advantage of being open to activities besides one’s preferred sport, if necessary
• How my guest is dealing with not being able to do his normal exercise routine
• Helping small businesses stay afloat during the pandemic
• Practicing what we preach as psychologists
• The book Mitch is working on about managing mind chatter, and his opposition to the positive thinking movement
• The process of writing, and how we’re often surprised by what emerges

Mitch Greene, PhD, completed his undergraduate degree at Boston College and his doctorate in clinical psychology at Temple University. He works primarily with athletes pursuing high performance goals, as well as coaches and athletic departments looking to educate their student-athletes on mental health and performance enhancement strategies.

Mitch’s typical clients are either college (or college-bound) student-athletes as well as Olympic and pro-level competitors; he also provides workshops for athletes and teams.  Mitch’s areas of expertise include helping competitors with lapses in confidence, mental setbacks from injury, performance anxiety worries, and peak performance preparation.

In addition to his own practice, Mitch is the sport psychology consultant to several college athletic programs, triathlon organizations, tennis and squash academies, lacrosse clubs and the Philadelphia Marathon. His articles, book chapters, blog posts, podcasts, workshops, and presentations have reached audiences from a wide range of sports. Mitch is an athlete himself, and is very active in endurance sports like marathon running, triathlon, and adventure racing.

To learn more about Mitch, visit his website and follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.