Katie Castle is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists with 6 years of clinical experience in both a private and non-profit setting. She is also a former competitive gymnast and elite coach/choreographer holding a Level 3 in the National Coaching Certification Program.
I specialize in working with youth athletes as well as their families and coaches for topics such as performance anxiety, fears and mental blocks, perfectionism, and low confidence. I have training in a variety of evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Narrative therapy, and EMDR. I recently presented a paper at the 2024 European Federation of Sports Psychology with research aimed at pinpointing the negative psychological factors related to early professionalization in youth sports.
In my sports journey that started as competitive athlete, then coach, then sport psychologist and sports Mom I have seen a drastic shift in the environment surrounding young athletes. I will share both my personal experiences and the relevant research on the specific environmental elements that are more likely to cause harm than good for young athletes.
