In this final Olympics-themed episode, Ashlie and Gilbert talk with Professional Clinical Counselor, Mental Performance Consultant, and Townsend Institute alum Kaila Predney about working with athletes at all levels of sports. Kaila shares some of how she uses integrative and cognitive behavioral approaches to serve the unique pressures and circumstances that athletes face.

About Kaila Predney:

Kaila is pursuing her license as a Professional Clinical Counselor while completing hours toward her Certification as a Mental Performance Consultant. In addition, she is a certified personal trainer and works with athletes as a strength and conditioning coach. Kaila has coached with former USA Olympians and developed players currently playing for our USA national and Junior national teams. In addition, she has coached volleyball for 8 years at Tstreet Volleyball Club and Crean Lutheran High School in Irvine.

Kaila is a Huntington Beach native who competed at an elite level in soccer and volleyball. A four-year dual-sport varsity athlete in high school, and achieved the Female Athlete of the Year award in her senior year. Kaila earned her Master's degree in Clinical Counseling from Concordia University in Irvine, Ca., where she competed as a scholarship athlete in beach volleyball as an undergraduate—moving on from Concordia to professional volleyball for several seasons before retiring as a player.

Her roles and experiences in athletics have helped develop a new depth of empathy for those who struggle with performance pressures, perfectionism, fear of failure, self-confidence, anxiety, depression, and injury. Her goal as a counselor and consultant is to help athletes reach their highest potential and provide psychoeducation through the hardships of their sport. Through an integrative and cognitive behavioral approach to consultations and therapy, she strives to bring athletes to a consistent place of joy in their sport while building resilience and confidence.

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The Townsend Institute at Concordia University Irvine offers fully accredited online graduate degrees and professional certificates in three content areas: Organizational Leadership, Executive Coaching and Consulting, and Counseling. Experience transformational education that operates at the crossroads of competence, character, and connection through the Townsend Institute’s life-changing counseling and leadership programs. To find out more, visit our website at ⁠www.cui.edu/townsend⁠.

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Special thanks to Concordia University Irvine alum Godesulloh Bawa for the TIPS podcast music.