Individual Training

1-on-1 Athlete Mental Training

Common Reasons Why Athletes Seek Mental Skills Training:

  • Feeling stuck, or experiencing a lack of progress despite a strong physical effort
  • Lack of confidence
  • Feeling overly anxious prior to or during competition
  • Performing well in practice and not in competition
  • Feeling rusty and lacking confidence after a long break
  • Getting too caught up in opponents, not able to focus on myself
  • Thinking too much under pressure
  • Moving on to the next level (high school, college, pro) is important, and I want to be ready.

Our mental skills training program offers athletes a cognitive-behavioral approach to help athletes learn and do better in sport and life.

Here are some of the key components to individual training:

Initial Assessment

These questions will help determine where you are in your journey to Mental Mastery. It helps us to customize and prioritize your program, based on your current skills and needs.

Mental Mastery Program

Lessons are assigned based on your needs and priorities. Each athlete will have their own path and the support of our Mental Mastery App, your Mental Skills Coach, and community, if you’re participating in one of our groups.

Mental Mastery Fundamentals

Every athlete, regardless of age, experience or sport will begin with the fundamentals of mental training. These include goal setting, recognizing and resetting thinking patterns, learning to stay calm under pressure, using detailed imagery skills, and how to build confidence. Programs go far beyond these basics, but this is where mental toughness begins!

Track Your Progress Daily and Weekly in Mental Mastery App!

A huge part of confidence is earning it. Our goal setting and tracking system will confirm that you’re doing the work to feel prepared and ready to do your best. No more guesswork, it’s all there in clear view for you to see your progress.

Mental Mastery Beyond Fundamentals

Once you have your fundamentals, your program will be further adapted to your personal and sport-specific needs. This phase includes more skill development and a strong focus on performance review and fine-tuning your skills under the pressure of competition.

For more information on our program or to set up a free consultation, click here.

Mental training is more widely accepted as a necessary and helpful aspect of the sport experience than ever before. There’s no doubt that mental toughness is imperative to high level sport success and that’s our specialty. I’m glad you’re here and looking for ways to help you or your athlete. Here is a list of our most frequently asked questions:

What Services Do You Offer?

Our services are specifically designed to help good athletes become great. We do not diagnose mental health issues or offer therapy. Services are designed to teach clients mental training skills to learn how to manage nerves, improve confidence and increase consistency.

1-on-1 Mental Training – We offer different levels of service to meet different needs for individual athletes. This is ideal for athletes who want the most in-depth and personalize approach to mental training. In this process, athletes will get all the fundamentals, use of our Mental Mastery App, and support through your sport journey.

  • Basic – 6 hours
  • Elite – 10 hours
  • Premium – 20 hours

Group (Team) Mental Training Group training is now being offered for athletes who are looking for a more social approach to mental training. Groups will focus on mental skills, group discussions, problem solving and peer support. Group members will have access to our exclusive Mental Mastery App to help guide their mental training. Groups will form periodically and will run for 3 months. A minimum of 4 athletes is needed for a group. This is an ideal format for teams, each team can form its own group.

  • VCD/EILO Groups
  • Mental Skills Development Groups
  • Leadership Groups

Leadership Development – Leadership Development – Leadership is a key to successful teams in sport and business. Our leadership development program is designed to help youth and collegiate athletes learn how to identify their personal leadership style, how to lead by example, and develop conflict resolution skills. This program will help athletes on their current team and help position athletes for future leadership. This program is ideal to integrate into clubs and academies, and is also offered as a group which integrates leaders from different sports and clubs/schools. Please call Erika @ 510-331-0327 for Leadership Development pricing.

Why Hire A Mental Skills Coach?

Any current or former competitive athlete can relate to having a “good mental day.” Competition seems easy – almost effortless. There isn’t much thinking – just simple decision-making. Focus is 100%. There was a sense of control. You performed well.

Most athletes who are ready to engage in mental training have, at some point, performed with excellence. They know what it feels like to excel under pressure, how to play their best and have invested A LOT of time and effort into years of training. The problem is, they struggle to find this ideal performance zone with consistency. Some days it there, other days it’s not. We can help you not only identify your blueprint for success, but how to execute it and create more controllable confidence and consistency.

Mental training is best when done proactively. While addressing problems when they arise is useful, a pro-active approach can give athletes better tools to navigate issues as they inevitably surface.

How Do I Know My Athlete Needs Mental Training Services?

There are many reasons why athletes seek out our services. Here is a list of the most common reasons:

  • Excessive nervousness
  • Lack of confidence
  • Looking for a competitive edge
  • Difficulty returning to sport after an injury
  • Hitting a performance plateau
  • Physical and technical training aren’t creating performance improvement
  • Preparing for collegiate athletics
  • Preparing to go pro
  • Learning to manage Vocal Cord Dysfunction/Exercise-Induced Laryngeal Obstruction

What Can My Athlete Expect To Get Out Of Mental Training Services

Athletes can expect to learn all the fundamental mental skills and how to apply them. They will have the benefit of using our exclusive Mental Mastery App to watch educational videos, track their goals and progress and learn how to reflect on their mental performance. Athletes will gain A LOT of self-awareness about how they function and what helps them perform their best and what holds them back. They will become proficient at managing their sport related stress know how to apply their mental skills under pressure. Most importantly, they will learn how to create the conditions for their best performance.

Who Are Good Candidates For Mental Training Services?

Our best clients fit a very simple profile; They are motivated and committed to improving their performance. While it is common for there to be initial resistance for youth athletes who have never engaged in mental training, our FREE consultation for parents and athletes together, is designed to educate the family and help put fears to rest about what mental training is all about. We are confident you will like what we’ve got to offer.

Wondering If You’re ‘That’ Parent?

We hear that a lot. Parents wonder if hiring a Mental Trainer is “over the top” and makes them an “extreme” parent. Parents who typically hire us:

  • Care deeply about their child learning and growing from their sport experience
  • Value mental training as “life skills” training.
  • Often have had similar types of training in their own careers.
  • Want to help their kids learn to proactively solve problems and become more self-reliant.
  • Know that how you perform mentally dictates how you perform physically

How Much Does It Cost?

Our programs are offered at a range of prices. 1-on-1 is the most personalized and in-depth program. Groups are a more affordable option for many athletes and ideal for athletes who want to learn skills amongst their peers – click here for group training. We are confident that you find great value in our services. If our services are not in your budget, please call to discuss alternative options. 510-331-0327.

What Are Your Hours?

Erika works by appointment and we keep afternoons and some evenings available to meet the needs of our school-age athletes. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, all meetings are held via Zoom.

What Other Services Do You Offer?

  • Corporate Wellness Workshops
  • Coaching Education Workshops
  • Sports Medicine In-service
  • Workshops for clubs, teams or groups.
  • Parent Education Workshops
  • Speaking at events

Erika has been a tremendous help throughout my life and competitive career in the equestrian sport of barrel racing. Barrel racing is a high speed agility event that requires quick physical and mental fitness.
Being an equestrian and a quality competitor, in many sports she understands the challenges and rewards horses bring to the team. She is a calm, reassuring, realistic coach that has held me accountable to my own goals in a non pressurized manner. She knows the the stresses the outside world can place on any athlete child or adult.
She has an abundance of "tools" she shares to mentally calm and focus oneself. She can easily help a youngster along with their parent as she can a professional athlete at the top of their game.
I have also had the privilege to be a student and a partner with her in horsemanship clinic I have hosted. She was a professional coach that laughed with us and felt our fear. She was able to give me and my students skills to change our mindsets that changed our emotions to a beneficial state.
I do highly recommend her to anyone wishing to enhance their performance!!
Update 4/28/2016
Competed at a Barrel Race after a 7 month lay up.
I was calm and focused. I won a check!! Thanks Erika!

Tracy M. Avatar
Tracy M.

If not for Erika Carlson and MTI, I would not be playing college soccer at a Division 1 program. I had several medical issues for many years as well as learning and testing difficulties and she mentored me on both and helped me get my scores up to get admitted. Erika's tools for teaching how to relieve stress and visualization for taking tests and performing on field were 100% responsible for me being able to become a student athlete.
S.J.
U Hawaii

Spenser J. Avatar
Spenser J.

Erika Carlson is among the elite in the Bay Area in regards to mental conditioning/training realm. What she does helps athletes of any age, sport, level, etc. I consulted her as a youth athlete struggling with confidence and was coached to not only gain my confidence again, but to become a more well rounded athlete that was mentally tough. Time with her allowed me to deal with the adversities and grind that come with athletics, which is an aspect in sports that is not worked on at practice. The mental side of the game is just as important, if not more, than the physical, tactical, or technical, and Erika knows how to unlock that potential. I credit her with helping me navigate my way through my youth soccer career, which allowed me to play at the collegiate level the past 4 years and today as a professional athlete.

Dallas J. Avatar
Dallas J.

I'm a professional equestrian athlete that both rides and coaches. Erika Carlson has been instrumental in helping myself and my clients take our Mental Training to the next level. Erika has helped many of my clients, both individually, or through a group setting. Erika's training has increased our competitive edge. She not only works with the highly competitive athlete, but she is fantastic with athletes needing to work on confidence, competition jitters or focus. I can't say enough about Erika's positive influence on my business and clients. THANK YOU ERIKA!

Kelly M. Avatar
Kelly M.

Being a teenager is very stressful and often times confusing, but being a teenager and competing at the highest level in a sport adds so much more complexity to an already stressed out teenager! Erika and her programs are designed to help kids navigate through the complexities in a safe environment.

My daughter has been a regular client for years, she is able to talk to Erika and get honest feedback and solutions. When my daughter was injured Erika helped with the recovery from a mental perspective. When she needed advice on test taking, Erika worked with her to give her the tools to improve, which she has tremendously!

The mental side to any sport is so important and so overlooked by clubs who tend to focus on physical skill and fitness levels. Erika focuses on the mental side, strengthening the focus, decision making and taking the athlete or student to the next level. Erika helps to build a child's self confidence in themselves and their decisions.

I would recommend Erika to any parent who is interested in their child doing better in sports or school!

Erika is fantastic!

Debi F. Avatar
Debi F.

Please view my “payment” page for the different sessions and prices we offer.

Thanks for investing the time to learn about our unique and proven mental training programs. Our clients are typically people who have decided they can’t leave their mental toughness to chance. They believe that mental training should occur right along with physical training, and are ready to learn how to do it. If that sounds like you, here’s the next step…

Set Up a Free Initial Consultation:
We do not charge for this first meeting. It’s a chance for you to get to know us, and for us to determine whether you’re the right type of client for us.