Kayla Balcom

University of North Texas - Denton, Texas (2018)

 

University of Miami - Coral Gables, Florida 

 

University of Tulsa - Tulsa, Oklahoma

 

Kayla C. Balcom, Ph.D. is a professor in the Department of Psychology at UNT and the Assistant Director for the Center for Sport Psychology and Athlete Mental Health. Dr. Balcom is a former graduate from the Counseling Psychology doctoral program at UNT with a specialization in Sport Psychology. Prior to returning to UNT as a professor, Dr. Balcom was the Director of Sport Psychology at Georgia Tech where she developed and established an athlete mental health department and worked with student-athletes on sport performance and mental health needs. Dr. Balcom’s clinical areas of focus include sport performance, athlete identity, athlete retirement, body image and disordered eating concerns, identity development, career counseling, group therapy, and working with individuals in high demand, high stress fields or professions. She enjoys providing supervision to graduate students in fields related to mental health and sport psychology and empowering the next generation of psychologists and mental health providers to find their space and role in the field. She values wholehearted connection, deepening relationships, and living life with vulnerability and authenticity. Dr. Balcom has given numerous presentations at local and national conferences, has been the keynote address at professional medical conferences, and has been a guest on podcasts discussing sport psychology and athlete mental health. She is a member of the Clinical/Counseling Sport Psychology Association and sits on their Training Committee and their Director Committee to stay informed and engaged in graduate level training programs and best practices. As a professional member of the faculty, Dr. Balcom strives to create spaces for students to feel heard, to learn, to be challenged, and to grow. She hopes that UNT continues to be a premier training program for the future of clinical and counseling psychology. 

 

Sport Psychology, Athlete Mental Health and Wellness, Young Adult Identity Development, Career Development and Counseling, Group Psychology, Relationship Exploration and Communication