again
It's time to feel good enough
Meet
alyssa zajdel, phd
Sport Psychologist in Milwaukee, WI and Online
You work hard but aren’t seeing the results you are striving for.
There seem to be some mental blocks that are making you feel overwhelmed and like you are falling short.
do something
It's time to
about it.
Clients work with me because they want someone who:
Is kind, accepting, and patient
when things get tough and helps them build skills to improve their life.
“Gets” it - the pressure, the
self-doubt, the difficulty of putting themselves out there.
Sees how awesome they already are and authentically shows up so they can be true to themselves too.
work
What it's like to
with me.
Every person is different,
so every therapy relationship is different too.
I tweak my approach using your feedback to make counseling as helpful as possible and to fit your needs and goals.
This means that I:
Focus on Collaboration and Connection
Building a strong and trusting relationship is important for growth in counseling.
My philosophy is that you are the expert on you and I am the expert on mental health, change, and mental skills.
I often present a menu of options for you to decide what will work best and we work together to refine any strategies.
Use Our Time to Practice Skills
In-the-Moment
In therapy, we will practice tools and strategies that can help outside of our time together.
This may include unique conversations that people don’t typically have in day-to-day life, mindfulness and breath work, and labeling emotions that come up.
What is helpful about practicing in the moment is that we can make tweaks and recommendations to make it easier to use strategies later on.
Consider and Incorporate Context, Culture, and Systems
We bring who we are into the therapy room, including our cultural background, life experiences, identities, and values.
Just because we are in therapy doesn’t mean these don’t come up.
I work to examine how context, culture, and systems impact you and how they may show up in the therapy environment.
Start With Your Existing Strengths and Identify New Ones
Everyone has things they are good at and personality characteristics that help them find success.
We start by identifying your strengths and capitalize on them in our work together. Why start from scratch if we can start with the tools that are already working and the things you are already good at?
And don’t worry, if you don’t have a good sense of your strengths, we’ll work together to identify them.
bring
What I
to our sessions:
A Certification in Mental Performance
I have additional training as a certified mental performance consultant, including passing an exam, taking graduate student courses in sport psychology and exercise physiology, and being mentored by some of the top sport psychologists in the US. All of this was done while working with D1 and D3 athletes at several institutions, as well as other high performers and high school athletes.
Constant Learning and Understanding
I never stop learning. You will often find me listening to podcasts, reading self-help books, and asking deep questions to mentors and colleagues. I am always wanting to learn more to help my clients and love innovating and trying new things to help clients get where they want to go.
An Outside Perspective
As your therapist, I am your champion and want what is best for you. It can be helpful to have a sounding board in your life who is neutral and objective. I help you think through different options to decide what works best for you, without being personally invested in any potential outcomes.
Ease and Organization
I am an organized person and strive to make things as streamlined and efficient as possible. Completing paperwork, contacting me, and joining video calls should all be straightforward and easy. Basically, the administrative side of our work should not be stressful or taxing, and my organizational skills make it seamless!
Personal Experience
I’m a recovering perfectionist. I struggle with performance anxiety in my sport. I’m working through a sports injury. I try to be more confident and calm in my personal life. All this to say, I get it.
is not
This therapy
just for athletes.
These strategies can work in all areas of life,
whether you are an athlete or not.
Here are some takeaways from prior clients after working with me:
“I like myself a lot
more now.”
“I can focus on what matters in the moment.”
“I’m much nicer to myself after therapy.”
“I actually can describe how I am feeling.”
“I know why I do
what I do.”
“I know how to get through hard things.”
specialties.
Learn more about my
training.
Learn more about my
Education & Licensure
-
Licensed Psychologist in Wisconsin (4060 - 57) and Florida (PY 11363)
-
PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2020
-
MA in Counseling Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2016
-
BA in Psychology with a minor in Gender and Women’s Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2014
Training & Certifications
-
​Certified Mental Performance Consultant ®
-
Post-Doctoral Residency at Jacksonville University specializing in student athlete mental health and performance
-
Pre-Doctoral Internship at Florida Atlantic University with specializations in sport psychology and eating disorders
Professional Affiliations
-
Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT)
-
Association for Applied Sport Psychology
-
Clinical and Counseling Sport Psychology Association
-
Core Faculty Member at the Wisconsin School of Professional Psychology
-
Sport Psychologist at Northwest Performance Psychology
edge
Gain the
from the
inside.
The story behind the name:
​
Athletes often turn externally for feedback and to improve their craft - they follow coaches’ instructions, compare themselves to teammates, focus on win/loss statistics, search for validation from recruiters, parents, etc., track weights and reps, and the list goes on!
Inside Edge represents a “new frontier” of becoming the best athlete you can be, by turning inward and training the mind just as much as you train the body by focusing on mental skills.
Plus, if you are a figure skater, you know that having a strong inside edge is the base for any other skill you want to master!