About Catherine

Catherine Broadhead (Cat) is a certified Sport and Health Psychology Consultant by the Association for Applied Sport Psychology and a nationally certified counselor (NCC) by the National Board of Certified Counselors. She earned a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Sport and Health Psychology from The Adler School of Psychology in Chicago. Throughout her life, Cat has been an academic and involved in sports. Cat has always been interested in leadership and intrigued by how emotions influence learning and performance. Cat majored in psychology at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio where she is an active volunteer. She earned her Master of Elementary Education from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, the top rated education program in the country. She has taught elementary school in public, private, and charter schools, and started a gifted and talented program in a charter school. During Business School at Cornell University’s Johnson School, Cat worked for Cornell Outdoor Education’s Teambuilding Program. In the classroom and on the ropes course, Cat realized how perfectionism and anxiety influence performance. Now Cat specializes in counseling adults and children in sports and high stress situations.

Beating the Beginning

“I am not in good enough shape to go to the gym.” “I’ve gotten so out-of-shape that it hurts.” ‘Sound familiar? Beginning a new exercise routine can be daunting.  Often, it’s not fun getting back on track, and we have … Continue reading

Resources for Injured Athletes

Often the mental pain caused by your injury and the temporary or permanent loss of your sport can be far more devastating than the physical injury. This type of pain must be addressed and managed in order to recover quickly and … Continue reading

Starting a New Exercise Routine

We are 10 days into the 45-day challenge.  It’s not too late to join us! Starting a new exercise routine can be daunting.  Here are two key tips to get started on your routine and stay on track to your goal. … Continue reading

Prevention of Injury in Youth Sports

Injuries are common in youth sports.  With proper training, many injuries can be avoided. The facts about injuries in youth sports: 48% of young athletes have at least one injury during an athletic season.  65% of these injuries are minor. … Continue reading

Managing Performance Anxiety

Do you feel dread about performing? Do you feel stage fright before a presentation or anxiety before the big game or test? Athletes and students often experience performance anxiety.  The anxiety not only influences their performance, but it can also … Continue reading

3 Tips to Prep for a Test or Big Game

Worried about your mathematics test or football game against your biggest rival?  What is the best way to prepare for the event? Here are three tips for performing your best on the big day. 1. Get a good night’s sleep.   Make … Continue reading

Managing Mistakes

Teaching Children and Adolescents to Manage Mistakes We want our children and teenagers to perform well, and so do they.  However, the pressure of perfectionism can lead to the fear of making mistakes.  When there is so much pressure to … Continue reading

Sleep Well for Wellness

When students and athletes consult with me, I always ask about their sleep because  sleep is a big part of our lives and is instrumental to our performing well. We all know what it’s like when we haven’t slept well … Continue reading

Improving Focus

Many athletes ask about focus and getting in “the zone.”  Getting in the zone means being in the moment, and being in the moment means that you are not thinking about what’s happened in the past, and you are not … Continue reading

Coping with Frustration

It is the things that we cannot control in life that can be the most frustrating.  You may feel frustrated with a teammate on the sport field, someone with whom you work, or a loved one.  When there is not a … Continue reading

Productive Positive Thinking

How do you make positive thinking work for you? Gabriele Oettingen, of New York University and the University of Hamburg has been researching positive thinking and motivation.  In her book, Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation, she states that … Continue reading

Prevention of Stress in Children’s Sports

Excessive stress, injury, being burnt out, along with other negative aspects of youth sport can be avoided. Here are some simple ways to avoid putting too much stress on athletes and creating problems. The thrill should be competition, not winning. … Continue reading

Children in Sports – Benefits

There are many benefits of a young child’s involvement in sport.  Through sports, children learn physical skills, gain an appreciation of physical fitness, and grow emotionally and socially. Learning Physical Skills Young athletes learn both fundamental motor skills and sport-specific … Continue reading

Introducing Children to Sports

Many parents come to me with questions about their children’s involvement in sports.  When should children start sports?  What sports should they do?  When should sports get competitive?  Expert Frank Eksten of the Franciscan Sports Medicine Institute in Indiana answers these … Continue reading