When Performance Leaves a Scar: Trauma, Anxiety, and the Path Back

What is trauma, and how does it show up in athletes’ lives? In this episode, Dr. Raymond Prior unpacks the neurobiology of trauma, explores how trauma can affect athletic performance, and explains how we can begin to heal and pursue a fuller, more thriving life. Drawing on performance psychology, neuroscience, and emerging research, he examines the similarities and differences between performance anxiety and trauma responses—and shares practical insights for working through both.This conversation is for athletes, artists, performers, and anyone who wants to move beyond the experiences that continue to haunt them: the piano recital that went horribly wrong, the missed penalty kick, or the moment under pressure that made it difficult to step back onto the field or stage. It offers a path toward resolving difficult experiences and performing with greater freedom.Check out Dr. Prior's podcast "Golf Beneath the Surface" here: https://gbtspodcast.buzzsprout.com/Here is Dr. Priors company, RFP Performance Consulting: https://btsmindset.com/

What about injury do you only understand once you've lived it? How can others support you, and how do you move from "Why me?" to "What's next?" In this episode, PhD student Madeline Koch sits down with professional volleyball player Blake Mohler to unpack the realities of injury, recovery, and resilience. Former teammates on the Purdue Volleyball team, Madeline and Blake reconnect to discuss Blake's journey as an All-American at Purdue and now a seventh-year professional with the Indy Ignite. Blake shares the raw, humbling, and often frustrating realities of being sidelined by injury, offering an honest look at the mental battles that accompany physical recovery. From reframing recovery as her "sport" during time away from competition to leaning on faith, mindset, and daily habits, Blake reveals the lessons she's learned through some of the toughest moments of her career. It isn’t about getting back to where you were before the injury but moving forward from your new starting line. Whether you're an athlete navigating injury, supporting someone who is, or simply facing a challenging season of life, this conversation is filled with practical wisdom, perspective, and hope. Check out Blakes recovery journey here: https://www.instagram.com/blakemohler/?hl=en

Dr. Kasie Whitener took time from the campaign trail to sit down and chat with our host, Dr. Jesse Steinfeldt, for this Unit3d episode. In the midst of a run for the Senate seat in South Carolina, Kasie shared insightful perfectives from all of her pursuits with the Unit3d audience. Kasie is an aspiring politician, an accomplished author, a talk show host, a college professor and many more things, so the Dos Equis Gal showed off her 5-tool versatility in this engaging conversation: Jesse and Kasie covered topics ranging from the state of college sport to politics to book writing to sport psychology applications and more. She shares her backroads campaign trail experiences and her message of Touching Grass to connect with good people—acknowledging that there are so many valued commonalities and connections that people share--a refreshing perspective in our politically divisive times. Regardless of your political affiliation, you will emerge from this conversation engaged and refreshed from Kasie and Jesse's enlightening perspectives in this episode, summarized by the takeaway that being interesting is fine, but being interested is where it's at. And Dr. Whitener is both. 

What can we learn about athlete well-being from someone who has experienced sport as an athlete, coach, and mental health counselor?  In this episode, Emily Kuhfeld joins host Maria D’Ugo to explore the transitions that shape life in and beyond sport. Emily reflects on her experiences as an athlete, coach, and mental health counselor, sharing lessons on identity, confidence, belonging, help-seeking, and the power of meaningful relationships. Together, they discuss the coach-athlete relationship, performance challenges, team culture, and what it truly means to support athletes as whole people. From navigating identity shifts to fostering environments where athletes feel seen and supported, this conversation offers practical insights for coaches, practitioners, teammates, and athletes alike. 

In this episode of Unit3d w/ Big Team at Indiana University, third-year PhD student Nina Winsick sits down with Lanie Deppe, Director of Strength and Conditioning and Lecturer in Exercise Science at Franklin College. A former IU rower who began as a nursing major, Lanie traces her path from the grind of elite collegiate athletics to more than 20 years of coaching and program-building, from Division I to Division III. She opens up about the demands of competing in a high-performance environment, and how being overtrained her senior year taught her lessons in recovery that still shape her coaching. The conversation explores how high-level sport affects mental health, why trust and communication matter in coaching, and how social media fuels comparison and body-image pressure among student-athletes. Lanie also breaks down the similarities and differences she has witnessed between DI and DIII athletics and shares how she built Franklin’s strength and conditioning program from scratch into a more holistic, science-based model for student-athletes. The episode closes with rapid-fire questions on favorite lifts, coaching advice, and the athletes she’d most want to train.

Mental health has long been overlooked and often stigmatized in the world of sport. But that conversation is changing. More athletes are speaking openly about their mental health experiences, and organizations like Athletes for Hope are helping turn those conversations into meaningful action. In particular, the AFH’s Whole Being Athlete (WBA) mental health program, led by Dr. Mina Mirhom, is at the forefront of these efforts.  In this episode, Dr. Mirhom joins us to discuss some of the most important topics surrounding athlete mental health, including suicide prevention, barriers to care, and misconceptions around the use of mental health services. What should you do when a teammate just “seems off”? How can you support someone who may be struggling? And what can you do when you’re the one who needs help? Drawing on his expertise and real-world experience working with athletes, Dr. Mirhom offers practical guidance for recognizing when someone may need support, starting difficult conversations, and knowing how to respond.  Mental Health Resources: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (available 24/7, free, and confidential) Host: Verena ZaisbergerGuest: Dr. Mena Mirhorm

The advice to "just treat the issue" is missing the whole person. Dr. Derick Boyd and host Katy Johnson unpack why identity changes everything in sport psych, and why curiosity is the most important tool in the room. Identity is always present - whether you name it or not. That means race, gender, class, disability, spirituality, athletic history, and the hidden parts of a person’s story can shape how anxiety shows up, how trust is built, and how performance really feels from the inside. In this episode, Derick shares his own transition from athlete to psychologist, including the loneliness of leaving sport, the pressure of being a Black man in predominantly white spaces, and his research on former Black college athletes’ experiences transitioning into graduate school and career paths. Along the way, he explains how a simple question, "What is that like for you?" can open up the real story behind what a client is carrying. Katy and Derick also get personal about what it means to show up fully in the room, how power dynamics affect therapy, and why both clients and practitioners benefit when they stop assuming they already understand each other.  

Youth sports can be a potent motivator and source of pride and growth for young children. It can also lead to burnout, a sense of dread, and even permanent departure from the athletic domain. Former D1 athlete Karen Stipe joins 1st year PhD student Riley Stipe to discuss using athletics as a vehicle for parenting. They discuss topics such as the state of youth athletics, the value of hardship, and the lessons learned through sports. Listen to get a glimpse of the experience of growing up in an athletic household and how that can translate to long-lasting change, for better and for worse.

Change is an inevitable part of life and that is especially true of athletics. Camryn Haworth, one of the most decorated Hoosiers in Indiana Volleyball history, is no stranger to the ebbs and flows that impact coaching staffs, rosters, rules, and opportunities. Join doctoral candidate Hallie Enderle as we unpack the many changes that impacted Camryn’s career as an NCAA DI volleyball player as well as her upcoming opportunity to join reigning League One champion, LOVB Austin, this 2027 season. See how she faces uncertainty and uncontrollables in a way that still allows her to fill up her own cup and achieve peak performance. 

In the family favorite episode of the Unit3d w/Big Team at Indiana University podcast, Dr. Jesse Steinfeldt explores the dynamic of Playing for Your Parent and Being Coached By Your Parent. To do this, he goes to a familiar place—his own family. By examining the impact that Coach Bruce Steinfeldt had in coaching his three Division 1 athlete sons, then examining the impact that those sons have on coaching their own children (also multiple Division 1 athletes), this episode focuses on the benefits and the drawbacks of coaching your son (and being coached by your dad). Throughout the episode, the insights of the Steinfeldt boys shed light onto nuanced dynamics that impact performance, mental health, and well-being. While doing this, they share humorous stories and enlightening perspectives on their past experiences that listeners can learn from. They have a competition to determine the best son's impression of their Dad coach, and they make each other laugh in the process. But through it all, they are able to give props, credit and love to the man who made it all possible--their dad, their role model, their Coach, the great Bruce Steinfeldt. And the audience gets to learn important tips, while also witnessing a way to articulate and demonstrate their love for each other, something we encourage you to do with your own parents, if you were lucky enough to be coached by them.