Athletes encounter a host of psychological hurdles when recovering from injury. In this episode we dig into the challenges of coping mentally during recovery, decisions to re-commit to playing, awareness cues for realistic expectations, trusting our body to perform again, and the risks when athletes choose/are told they can no longer play. I have worked with dozens of athletes in a range of these circumstances. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to include a mental health professional as a part of the recovery team. Episode highlights: - Personal athletic injuries - Normalizing psychological reactions - Coping with big decisions - Realistic expectations during recovery - Risks of no structure - The role of a mental health professional - What to do if an athlete discontinues playing.