Francisco Chaves, PhD, Licensed Psychologist

I often use the metaphor that therapy is like a trusted workspace where people can sort through their thoughts, feelings, relationships, and life experiences as a way to develop strategies for the parts of life where they feel stuck or confused. As a therapist, I use narrative and cognitive-based principles to help you get a better sense of the strategies and resources that help to achieve your goals. Using your values and strengths as the primary tools for our work, we employ therapeutic practices to overcome obstacles and strengthen relationships that will increase competence, confidence, decrease anxiety and stress, and address whatever circumstances may be going on in your life. Using therapy as a resource is all about finding someone who feels like a good fit. If you are interested in connecting with me to see if we might work well together, please feel free to reach out, and I would be happy to speak with you to answer any questions you may have about getting started in this process.

Along with my individual practice, I am a sport psychologist. As a clinical sports psychologist, my practice focuses on helping athletes, teams, and coaches reach peak performance by overcoming mental and physical barriers to achieve and sustain performance goals. Together with individuals, coaches, and teams, I teach and develop mental skills that enhance performance. This includes addressing performance anxiety, improving focus and concentration, utilizing imagery, and building mental and emotional resilience. I also support individual athletes in areas of transition, such as recovering from an injury and entering retirement. My approach draws on therapeutic principles that value the understanding of how our experiences, self-awareness, and relationships impact how we cope with life's difficulties. Translating these principles into the world of sports can positively impact individual performance, team cohesion, and a coach's approach. I understand that achieving a balance between physical and mental capacity elevates athletes to the next level, both on and off the field.