Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT IS THE SESSION COST?

Each 50-55 minute session is $195.

DO YOU TAKE INSURANCE?

I don't accept insurance, but I work with Mentaya, a platform that helps clients get money back on out-of-network therapy sessions. To see if you qualify for reimbursement, you can use this link.

If you qualify, Mentaya will file claims and handle the insurance paperwork to make sure you get reimbursed. They charge a 5% fee per claim and have helped people get thousands of dollars back per year. You can sign up using this link.

Note: Mentaya's goal is to save you time and money. It's completely optional, and I do not benefit in any way from your participation.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PERFORMANCE PSYCHOLOGY AND MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING SESSIONS?

The choice between performance psychology and mental health counseling depends on the client's needs. Some key differences are as follows:

• Mental Health Counseling: Clients receive a formal mental health diagnosis and focus on reducing mental health symptoms and concerns. Clients must be located in a state that participates in the PSYPACT agreement. Partial reimbursement for therapy services is possible.

• Performance Psychology: Clients do not receive a formal mental health diagnosis. We focus on topics such as motivation, goal setting, injury recovery, confidence, mental toughness, and other psychological skills. Clients can be located in any state, but insurance companies will not view the work together as a necessity, so partial reimbursement for services is not possible.

WHAT STATES DO YOU PRACTICE IN?

Performance psychology services can be provided in all states, Canada, and other countries. Mental health counseling can be provided in states that participate in the PSYPACT agreement. To see if your state participates in this agreement, click here.

DO YOU PROVIDE CERTIFIED MENTAL PERFORMANCE CONSULTANT (CMPC) MENTORSHIP?

Yes, I am approved by the Association of Applied Sport Psychology as a CMPC Mentor. CMPC Mentorship costs $175/hour. Those interested in CMPC mentorship must be independently licensed as a mental health clinician and provide their own clients for the duration of the consultation relationships.

CAN YOU DO A WORKSHOP FOR MY TEAM, CLUB, OR ORGANIZATION?

I regularly provide workshops and presentations for sports teams and clubs. Pricing is as follows:

• Keynote and/or custom workshops: $500 and up

• Standard 60 min workshop: $300

• Package of 3 standard 60 min workshops: $810 (10% off)

• Package of 5 standard 60 min workshops: $1200 (20% off)

• Non-profit organizations: additional 20% off

• Workshops for organizations with the mission to fight gender &/or racial inequities in sport: free! (Dr. Ayala provides one workshop per month for organizations that qualify.)

WHAT IS YOUR CANCELLATION POLICY?

Please remember to cancel or reschedule an appointment 24 hours in advance. Please call or email to notify me of a cancellation or to reschedule an appointment. You will be responsible for the entire fee for an appointment if cancellation is made less than 24 hours before the scheduled appointment. This is necessary because a time commitment is made to you and is held exclusively for you. If you are late for a session, you may lose some of that session time. I will not start sessions 20 minutes past our scheduled time.

HOW MANY SESSIONS DO PEOPLE USE?

The duration and frequency of sport psychology sessions are unique to each client and depend on various factors, such as schedule and life circumstances, provider availability, unexpected life changes, the length of the sport season, the nature of the specific challenges, personal and family finances, and more. The median number of sessions for my individual clients is about 7. Current median of lifetime sessions is about 10.

WHAT AGE GROUPS DO YOU WORK WITH?

I work with athletes aged 14 and older. For the first session, I ask parents to attend the first 15 minutes to discuss expectations, including how confidentiality works between myself, the child, and the parent(s). With the child's consent, parents are invited to the final 10 minutes of each session for an end-of-session summary and wrap-up to save teens from having to answer the "how was your appointment?" question and save parents from the most common response: "fine" :)

WHAT TYPES OF ATHLETES DO YOU WORK WITH?

I specialize in endurance athletes such as cross country, track & field, nordic skiing, swimming, cycling, rowing, and triathlon. However, I also have experience working with athletes in other sports and performance disciplines such as figure skating, volleyball, basketball, hockey, and more!

WHAT ARE YOUR CREDENTIALS?

• 2022 - Board Approved Supervisor for LPC and LPCC licensure (Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy)

• 2021 - E.Passport Certificate from ASPPB and Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT)

• 2021 - US Olympic and Paralympic Committee Mental Health Registry

• 2020 - Safe Sport Trained (US Center for Safe Sport)

• 2020 - Certified Mental Performance Consultant and CMPC Mentor (Association of Applied Sport Psychology)

• 2016 - Licensed Psychologist (Minnesota Board of Psychology)

• 2015 - PhD in Counseling Psychology (University at Albany, State University of New York)

WHAT IS YOUR SPORTS BACKGROUND?

I was a multisport athlete in high school who dabbled in volleyball, basketball, cross country, and track and field. I did not compete in collegiate sports, then returned to regular exercise while in grad school. I reunited with running in 2009. I ran my first marathon in 2010 and have finished 8 other marathons since then. I transitioned to triathlon in 2013, having completed several 70.3 triathlons and the full Ironman distance in 2015. After moving to Minnesota in 2016, I pivoted to cycling. I am now an avid gravel racer and road cyclist (cat 1) who races year round. A few of my accomplishments include:

• 4x finisher of Unbound Gravel’s 200 mile race

• 2023 - 4th place woman at Fat Bike Worlds

• 2022 - 2nd place woman at Unbound Gravel (100 mi single speed)

• 2021 - 3rd place woman at Fat Bike Birkie

• 2019 - 3rd place W2/3 Omnium at Tour of America’s Dairyland

• 2018 - 1st place W3/4/5 Omnium at Tour of America’s Dairyland

WHAT DOES YOUR SOCIAL JUSTICE ADVOCACY LOOK LIKE?

Social justice advocacy looks different for everyone in sport depending on their resources, bandwidth, skillset, etc. As a white cisgender woman, I continue to learn and unlearn how to show up as the best version of myself in a mission-driven manner. Here’s what works for me:

• 5% of proceeds from individual sessions are donated to 501c3s each month

• one pro-bono workshop per month for organizations addressing gender and racial inequities in sport

• I continue to conduct empirical research on gender, microaggressions, trans athletes, and DEI in sport

• I’ve contributed to amicus curiae briefs to support trans athletes in sport

• I sponsor and support races, teams, and organizations when bandwidth & budget allow

• BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and para athletes are moved to the top of my waitlist

• I provide internships/pro bono mentorship to CMPC mentees from historically excluded backgrounds in the field of sport psychology