Kelsey Kinnamon
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Women and girls in individual sports facing pressure, performance anxiety, and self-doubt
Athletes experiencing mental blocks
Athletes with high expectations that are tired of trying to be perfect and keep it together all the time
Athletes who feel like they always have to be “on” and can’t disconnect from sport/work
Those who feel like they’ve lost the passion and joy in sport
Athletes adjusting to collegiate athletics and international competitions
Women navigating the impact of perimenopause on sport engagement
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Olympic Weightlifting
Swimming & Diving
Endurance sports
Softball
Gymnastics
While I most often work with these athletes, I’ve worked with SO many different sports - so don’t fret if you don’t see yours here.
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I’m based in the Lehigh Valley and commonly work with teams here as well as Harrisburg, the Main Line, and Phillipsburg
I work with athletes individually via telehealth in all 50 states
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Bachelor’s degree in Sport & Exercise Psychology, West Virginia University
Master’s degree in Sport & Exercise Psychology, Georgia Southern University
PhD in Counseling Psychology, Florida State University
Predoctoral Internship, Specialization in Sport Psychology, Lehigh University
Certified Mental Performance Consultant, Nationally Accredited with Association for Applied Sport Psychology
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In 3 Division I athletic departments
Serving collegiate, national, and international level coaches
Serving athletes in Ivy League, ACC, Sunbelt, American and several other conferences
Serving numerous athletes representing Team USA and holding American and world records
Serving athletes at every level from youth to masters
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Kinnamon, K., Li, Q., Day, N., & Chiang, L. Becoming a Sport Psychologist: A CQR Investigation of Preparation and Pathways. Lecture accepted for presentation at the Annual Association for Applied Sport Psychology Conference in October, 2026.
Bean, W., & Kinnamon, K. (October, 2025). When the Evidence Runs Out: Navigating Challenges in Planned Disruption Implementation. Lecture presented at the Association for Applied Sport Psychology Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada.
Kinnamon, K, & Bean, W.(October, 2024). Disrupting the Norm: Investigating the Use of Planned Disruptions Among Elite Olympic Weightlifting Coaches. Lecture presented at the Association for Applied Sport Psychology Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
Bean, W., & Kinnamon, K. (October, 2023). What Do We Teach When We Teach Undergraduate Introductory Sport Psychology? A Content Analysis. Poster presented at the Association for Applied Sport Psychology Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.
Kinnamon, K., Harris, B., Byrd, M., & Wells, P. (October, 2022). Supporting Student-Athlete Mental Health: NCAA DI Coaches’ Experiences, Perceived Role, and Barriers. Lecture presented at the Association for Applied Sport Psychology Annual Conference, Fort Worth, TX.
Giacobbi, P.R., Jr., Symons-Downs, D., Haggerty, T., Pidhorskyi, S., Long, L., Clemmer, M., Steinman, S., Olfert, M., Kinnamon, K., Rao, N., Staggs, H., & Adjeroh, D. (2021). Feasibility and acceptability of guided imagery to address multiple health behaviors during pregnancy. Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health.
Working with Me
Sessions together are not just you “venting” and me nodding along. They’re active, real, and get to the core of what’s getting in the way of you performing and living well.
We’ll talk about the hard, sticky thoughts and emotions that keep showing up when you’re training and competing and how to deal with them so you can stop relying on ignoring or avoiding them to get by. We’ll talk about what comes up when all eyes are on you along and how to manage the pressure and comparison and expectations you face. We’ll talk about you as a human, and how life impacts sport and sport impacts life - because feeling well in every domain matters. We’ll build on the strengths you already have and celebrate every step of growth along the way. We’ll focus on enjoying your sport, not just performing well. We’ll build real, practical strategies so you feel prepared for whatever challenges get thrown your way.
The Truth about Mental Performance
You don’t need to “just push harder” or “just be tougher.” You’ve already tried that.
More often than not when things aren’t working, the answer is slowing down, not pushing harder and ignoring what you’re thinking and feeling - but instead removing the fear around what your mind throws at you so you can work with it. That’s what we’ll do in our sessions.
My approach is strength-based, relational, and rooted in a Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Commitment (MAC) approach. This means I know our relationship is crucial for our work together and I don’t assume I already know what’s best for you - I take the time to know you as a person and not just an athlete. It also means I emphasize making space for the hard stuff and leaning into what matters to you - including making sure you have strong strategies for pursuing your goals and what’s important even when it feels hard.
Professional Journey & Credentials
I earned a bachelor’s degree in Sport & Exercise Psychology at West Virginia University. There, I worked as a research assistant for a large-scale multidisciplinary project funded by the National Science Foundation, laying the foundation of my understanding of behavior change and future research.
I went on to earn a master’s degree in Sport & Exercise Psychology at Georgia Southern University, where I completed two years of rigorous coursework and sport psychology training. Here, I worked with numerous Division I teams, athletes, and coaches and conducted research examining coaches’ roles in supporting student-athlete mental health.
I completed my doctoral education and training in Counseling Psychology at Florida State University, where I completed four years of study and clinical training with college students and student-athletes. Here, I conducted research on suicide prevention, pressure training for athletes, and professional issues in sport psychology. I also completed my full-time APA-Accredited clinical psychology doctoral internship with a specialization in sport psychology at Lehigh University, where I served numerous teams and athletes across sports.
I’m a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. CMPC is the only nationally accredited certification for mental performance professionals in the United States. CMPCs are recognized for their expertise and ethical practice to help performers be their best.
The person outside of the professional
I consider myself deeply privileged to do this work with individuals and to get to do such meaningful and fulfilling work each day. Outside of my work, you can often find me outside and prioritizing movement - I’m also a certified yoga teacher. I also enjoys spending time with my family and animals (Chance & Chester), baking, reading, and writing.