Why this page exists
Licensed in Arizona. Honest about when you need a clinician more than a coach.
If the block is bigger than sport — panic, depression, an identity that only exists in the jersey — we treat that as therapy, not a pep talk.
The difference between good and great often lives between the ears. Mental performance coaching gives Show Low athletes the tools to stay composed, motivated, and resilient.
Across Navajo County, more residents are choosing to take their mental health seriously — and online athlete/sports performance makes that easier than ever. From the first session, you are met with warmth, expertise, and a plan built around you.
Here is the local load, named without a brochure: High-country tourism and rural distances that make a commute to weekly therapy unrealistic. The old in-office version meant SR-260 drive to Lakeside, Pinetop, or down to the Valley. Athlete/Sports Performance does not erase that — it gives Show Low residents a licensed place to stop carrying it alone.
Whether you have been searching for athlete therapy, sports performance coaching, or mental coaching for athletes in Show Low, you are in the right place — it is all part of the athlete/sports performance care we provide to Arizona residents.
And this is where the difference really shows.
Naming What You Are Going Through
Before anything changes, it helps to name what you are carrying. For many Show Low residents, it sounds something like this:
Your mind is your biggest competitor?
You've trained your body to peak performance. But the mental game? That's where you're losing. Performance anxiety, self-doubt, and pressure are stealing your edge.
And this is where the difference really shows.
Getting Started With Athlete/Sports Performance in Show Low
Performance work blends sport psychology with practical mental skills — visualization, focus, pressure management, and recovery from setbacks — tailored to your sport and your goals.
There is no one-size-fits-all here. Your clinician draws on proven, evidence-based methods and tailors them to you, checking in regularly to make sure the approach is working and adjusting when it needs to.
Confidentiality is built in from the start. Sessions run on encrypted, HIPAA-compliant software, and what you share stays between you and your Arizona-licensed therapist, exactly as it should.
All you need is a private space and a reliable internet connection. Your therapist handles the rest — secure video, session notes, and a steady plan designed to help Show Low residents feel real relief.
And it is more accessible than most Show Low residents expect.
Benefits Navajo County residents Notice
Here is what Show Low residents gain when they start athlete/sports performance with us:
Licensed experts with 25+ years of experience each
Arizona-licensed professionals with deep roots in the local mental health community.
Your schedule, respected
Early morning. Lunch break. After the kids are asleep. We offer flexible hours because life doesn't pause for therapy.
No insurance games, no surprise bills
Straightforward self-pay pricing. You know exactly what you're paying before you book. No claims, no denials, no drama.
Zero judgment, 100% acceptance
Bring your mess. Your secrets. Your shame. This is a space where you can be fully human without fear of rejection.
Results only matter if they last — which is why the next part matters.
Real Experience, Real Results
Telehealth is not a compromise. Research consistently shows online therapy is as effective as in-person care for most concerns, and Show Low residents get the added benefit of consistency: it is far easier to keep an appointment you can attend from anywhere.
Whether you came looking for athlete therapy or the most experienced sports performance coaching near Show Low, you will find clinicians who bring genuine depth and Arizona licensure to the work.
We measure success the way you do: by how you feel and function in your daily life. Your clinician revisits your goals throughout care to make sure the work is genuinely moving the needle.
That is exactly where athlete/sports performance comes in.
Serving Show Low and the Surrounding Area
Our Arizona clinicians understand the rhythm of life here. Year-round mountain families, seasonal residents, and hospitality workers.
Empower You Experts serves all of Show Low and the wider Arizona area. White Mountain high country: winter weather, tourism weekends, and specialist care that used to mean a trip off the mountain.
From Show Low Lake to the neighborhoods you call home, Show Low residents can connect with a licensed therapist without crossing town. We proudly serve Show Low residents across Downtown Show Low, White Mountain Lakes, Linden edge, Woolford, and beyond.
Results only matter if they last — which is why the next part matters.
Telehealth vs. the Drive Across Show Low
Traditional therapy means traffic, parking, time off work, and a waiting room. Online athlete/sports performance removes every one of those barriers while keeping the quality of care identical. For busy Show Low residents, that difference is what makes therapy sustainable.
Some people worry that video sessions feel less personal. In practice, most Show Low residents find the opposite — being in their own space helps them open up faster and feel more at ease.
Telehealth also widens your options. Instead of choosing from whoever happens to be nearby, you are matched with a clinician licensed in Arizona who genuinely specializes in what you need.
That is exactly where athlete/sports performance comes in.
Tools We Use — Not Slogans
Pre-performance routines and attention skills.
Recovery after a bad outing without a character assassination.
Clinical therapy when anxiety or depression is wearing a jersey.
Show Low residents do not need another article about self-care. They need a plan they can explain to themselves on a Tuesday: what we are targeting, why, and how we will know it moved.
We review progress in language you can feel — sleep, conflict, panic frequency, follow-through — not a vague “how was your week.” If a method is not moving the needle for Show Low residents, we change it.
Who this is for
Show Low athletes from high-school to adult-league who are choking, spiraling, or losing the love of the game.
There is a clear path forward from here.
Who Can Legally See You in Show Low
Arizona authorizes telemental health when the clinician holds an Arizona license and the client is physically in Arizona at the time of the session. That is the legal line — not a slogan. Empower You Experts will not see you for athlete/sports performance unless you are physically in Arizona during the session.
Dr. Lisa Lavella, PsyD, BC-TMH (Arizona and Illinois) and Christina Liakopoulos, LCSW, BC-TMH (Arizona, Illinois, and Indiana) are named clinicians, not a rotating intern pool. Credentials are on the about pages. We do not invent board affiliations.
So what does getting help actually involve?
Common Questions About Athlete/Sports Performance
Is sports performance work only for elite athletes?
No. High-school, college, adult-league, and professional athletes all choke, spiral, or lose the love of the game. Mental performance work in Show Low covers focus, pressure, injury identity, and the anxiety that shows up as a missed free throw or a tight chest before a start. It is not a pep talk. It is skills — visualization, attention, recovery after a bad outing — plus therapy when the block is bigger than sport.
Do you have a therapy office in Show Low?
Our home office is real: 20715 North Pima Road, Suite 108, Scottsdale, Arizona 85255. We do not invent a storefront in every city on this site. Athlete/Sports Performance for Show Low residents is licensed Arizona telehealth — you meet by secure video while you are physically in Arizona. That is a service-area practice, not a fake local clinic. If you need the address for records or a map pin, it is North Scottsdale. It is not a Show Low waiting room we pretended to open so a page would rank. The clinician is named. The license is the state you sit in during the session.
Are your therapists actually licensed to treat people in Arizona?
Yes. Telehealth is licensed by the state where you are sitting during the session, not by the city on the URL. Dr. Lisa Lavella, PsyD, BC-TMH is licensed in Arizona and Illinois. Christina Liakopoulos, LCSW, BC-TMH is licensed in Arizona, Illinois, and Indiana. If you live in Show Low, you simply need to be physically in Arizona when we meet. We do not “see” clients in states where we are not licensed, and we will not pretend a video call erases that rule. The free consult is also where we confirm fit, timing, and whether self-pay or an accepted plan makes sense for you.
Who would I actually work with for athlete/sports performance?
Dr. Lisa Lavella, PsyD, BC-TMH (Arizona and Illinois) and Christina Liakopoulos, LCSW, BC-TMH (Arizona, Illinois, and Indiana). They are named clinicians with decades of practice — not a matching engine and not a new intern every month. The free consult is how you meet the person, ask about athlete/sports performance, and decide if the fit is right. Credentials live on the about pages. We will not hide behind a brand voice when you deserve a human being. If the pairing is wrong, we would rather say so than keep a mismatched hour.
Is online athlete/sports performance in Show Low as real as sitting in an office?
For most of the concerns we treat, the research says yes — outcomes track the relationship and the method, not the waiting room. What changes in Show Low is logistics. You skip the commute, the parking, and the “who saw me walk in” problem. Sessions run on encrypted, HIPAA-compliant video. You still get a named clinician, a plan you both can explain, and homework that lives in your actual week. If video is a poor fit (safety, technology, or preference), we will say so in the consult rather than force a format that does not serve you.
Do you take insurance for athlete/sports performance in Arizona?
We are primarily a cash-pay practice and currently accept some insurance plans. Many clients in Show Low choose self-pay for privacy (sessions do not automatically hit a medical record the way a fully billed insurance episode can) and for simplicity — no surprise denials mid-treatment. We will tell you, before you commit, whether your plan is one we can bill and what a self-pay session costs. We do not advertise “we take everything” because that would be untrue. Call or use the consult form and we will be specific about fee, frequency, and whether a superbill is available. If money is the only barrier, say so in the consult; we would rather have an honest conversation than a bait-and-switch about coverage.
What actually happens in the first athlete/sports performance session?
The first session is an honest conversation, not an interrogation. We cover what brought you in, what you have already tried, how athlete/sports performance has (or has not) helped before, and what “better” would look like in your life in Show Low — sleep, work, relationships, the stuff you can feel. You will leave with a sense of the clinician, the pace, and whether the fit is right. There is no pressure to unload your whole history on day one. If it is not a fit, we would rather help you redirect than keep a mismatched pairing.
If I live in a smaller Show Low community, is this actually private?
Your sessions are protected by law and by ethics, with the usual mandated-reporting exceptions (risk of harm, abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult). Telehealth adds a practical privacy layer a storefront office cannot: nobody in Show Low watches you park at a clinic. You still need a closed door and headphones on your side. We use encrypted video. We will not discuss you in the grocery store, on a sideline, or in a Facebook group. If you share a house or a campus, we will help you plan a setting that is actually private — a parked car with a headset counts.