The research is clear, caring for your mental health is a vital part of successfully recovering from injury. The physical impact and recovery from an ACL injury is notoriously difficult, but mentally the injury is often challenging for athletes who rely on sport for everything from emotional regulation to social connection. With so much of life thrown up into the air in a moment, athletes face the challenge of needing to remain motivated and regulated in order for their injury to heal all while they have lost the resources they have so often relied on.

The Whole Athlete is Doug and Christy Sweaney Herrick, two mental health therapists and life long athletes and coaches. They speak with Physical Therapist Maggie Catlin and Shae Holmes of Seattle Reign FC to discuss the mental challenges of ACL tears and how athletes can build resources to combat them.