How Exercise Heals: The Role of Sports in Trauma Recovery for Athletes
Trauma can take many forms—ranging from a sudden injury to ongoing emotional stress—and its effects often reach far beyond the initial event. For athletes, the impact can be especially challenging, touching every aspect of life on and off the field. Yet movement and sport can also be powerful tools for healing. Understanding how exercise and sport-specific therapy support trauma recovery can help athletes reclaim both their mental health and their performance.
Understanding Different Types of Trauma
Trauma is not limited to a single experience. It can be:
Physical trauma
Injuries from accidents, surgeries, or chronic pain conditions.
Emotional or psychological trauma
Experiences such as abuse, grief, or witnessing violence.
Sports-related trauma
Season-ending injuries, repeated performance failures, or sudden changes like losing a scholarship or team position.
Complex trauma
Ongoing stressful events, such as childhood adversity or long-term exposure to unhealthy team cultures.
Each type of trauma can leave lasting marks on the body and mind, influencing how an athlete trains, competes, and connects with others.
How Does Trauma Affect Athletes?
The aftermath of trauma can vary widely, but common experiences include:
Intrusive thoughts or flashbacks that interrupt focus during training or competition.
Heightened anxiety and a persistent sense of danger.
Sleep disruptions, fatigue, or chronic tension that hinder physical recovery.
Mood changes such as depression, irritability, or emotional numbness.
Loss of motivation or withdrawal from teammates, friends, and family.
For athletes whose identity is often closely tied to sport, these effects can feel overwhelming. They can even lead to burnout or early retirement if left unaddressed.
Paths Toward Healing: Trauma Recovery For Athletes in Denver
Trauma recovery looks different for everyone, but several approaches consistently help. Here are several techniques we use in virtual Colorado therapy sessions:
Professional therapy
Modalities such as CBT, EMDR, or relational therapies under sport psychology can reduce trauma symptoms.
Support networks
Trusted teammates, coaches, friends, and family can provide essential understanding and encouragement.
Mind-body practices
Mindfulness, yoga, and controlled breathing help regulate the nervous system.
Healthy routines
Consistent sleep, balanced nutrition, and gradual re-engagement with activities foster resilience.
These foundations create space for sport itself to become a healing force.
How Do Sports and Exercise Support Trauma Recovery?
Exercise is more than a way to stay fit—it directly benefits mental health. Physical activity releases endorphins, improves mood, and lowers stress hormones. For trauma survivors, these effects can help calm the body’s heightened stress response. Sports offer additional benefits:
Structure and routine
Training schedules provide stability and a sense of control.
Community and belonging
Teams can offer connection and support, reducing isolation.
Empowerment and mastery
Progress in skill and strength builds confidence that counteracts feelings of helplessness.
Mindful movement
Activities like running, swimming, or cycling can induce a meditative state. They’re ideal for easing anxious thoughts.
Even individual exercise can help athletes reconnect with their bodies in a safe, positive way.
The Role of Sport Therapy for Athletes
Sport therapy often combines traditional counseling with performance psychology. It addresses trauma’s impact on both mental health and athletic performance. A virtual sport psychologist or certified mental performance consultant can:
Identify trauma-related triggers that affect concentration, confidence, or motivation.
Teach coping strategies like visualization, grounding techniques, and mental rehearsal.
Support return-to-play decisions after injury or emotional setbacks.
Promote holistic well-being, ensuring the athlete’s identity extends beyond sport.
By addressing the whole person, sport therapy empowers athletes to thrive in performance, competition, and daily life.
How to Overcome Sports Trauma: Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can sports alone heal trauma?
Sports can be an important part of recovery, but they are not a replacement for professional mental health care when needed. Combining physical activity with therapy is often most effective.
2. What if an athlete feels triggered while playing?
A therapist can teach grounding strategies—such as deep breathing or sensory focus—to help manage these moments. Gradual exposure and support from coaches and teammates also help.
3. Is it safe to return to intense training after trauma?
It depends on the individual and the nature of the trauma. A mental health professional and medical provider can help create a safe, progressive plan.
4. How can coaches support an athlete recovering from trauma?
Coaches can foster a safe environment by encouraging open communication and respecting boundaries. They can also promote rest and various mental health resources.
Overcome Trauma Through Online Sport Psychology in Denver, CO
For many athletes, geographic distance, busy schedules, or stigma around seeking help can make attending in-person therapy difficult. That’s where online sport psychology becomes a powerful option. We offer a compelling model for how it can work effectively for athletes in the Denver area.
Sunrise Counseling provides sport psychology services online throughout Colorado (including Denver). We cater to athletes at all levels—from youth, high school, and collegiate athletes to professionals and recreational competitors.
If you have gone through a traumatic experience in the distant or recent past and it is affecting you on or off the field, you don’t have to cope with that alone. Our sport psychologist in Colorado can help.
Here’s how to begin online sport psychology in Denver:
Find out how sport psychology can help you work through trauma when you schedule your initial appointment.
Work with an experienced sport psychologist in Denver, CO, who understands trauma and how it impacts athletes on and off the field.
Start working through trauma and learning coping skills so trauma has less impact on you both on and off the field.
Other Services Sunrise Counseling Provides in Colorado
Healing from trauma often requires more than physical recovery. It involves rebuilding trust, confidence, and emotional strength. Through sport psychology online, athletes can use movement and mental training to process trauma and reduce stress. They can also find empowerment through their performance again.
At Sunrise Counseling, we understand that trauma doesn’t just impact your performance. It can affect every area of your life. That’s why we provide holistic care that goes beyond sport psychology. Helping athletes and non-athletes alike cultivate mental clarity, self-compassion, and long-term resilience. You can meet with us in person at our Dallas, TX office or join sessions online across Colorado and other PSYPACT states. Our team is here to support you wherever you are in your journey.
In addition to sport psychology, we offer therapy for trauma, anxiety, depression, and grief. Our services also include counseling for men, women, children, couples, and families who may be navigating stress or emotional challenges. We provide specialized care in areas such as anger management, pain management, OCD, postpartum depression, miscarriage, and infertility. For those who wish to integrate their faith into therapy, we offer faith-based counseling, and we’re proud to provide therapy in Spanish for culturally sensitive support.
Whatever you’re facing, we’re here to help you move forward with strength, purpose, and hope. Explore our blog for more resources, or reach out when you’re ready to take the next step toward healing—both mentally and physically.
About the Author
Dr. James Ramarushton is a licensed psychologist in Colorado and Texas and holds PSYPACT certification. This enables him to work with clients remotely across most U.S. states. He earned his PhD in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Sport Psychology from the University of North Texas, one of the nation’s leading sport psychology programs. As a Certified Mental Performance Consultant through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology and a former collegiate athlete, Dr. Ramarushton blends firsthand athletic experience with advanced clinical training. He specializes in helping athletes overcome performance anxiety and navigate the mental and emotional challenges of sport, both on and off the field.