Board-Certified/Eligible Adult & Child Psychiatrists, Therapists, In-person & Telehealth, Serving Children, Teens & Adults, Out-of-Network / Personalized Care
Sports and Concussion Psychiatry/Therapy
South Jersey Sports Mental Health
Sports and Concussion Psychiatry/Therapy in South Jersey
At Eastern Psychiatric, LLC, we recognize that athletes face unique challenges that extend beyond the playing field. Our sports psychiatry services address both mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, and burnout, as well as the desire to enhance performance through improved focus, resilience, and recovery. Whether you are coping with the pressures of competition, struggling with injury, or striving to reach the next level in your sport, we provide individualized, evidence-based care. By combining psychiatric expertise with an understanding of athletic culture and demands, we help athletes strengthen their mental well-being and optimize their performance.
Mental Health Concerns
At Eastern Psychiatric, LLC, we understand that athletes are not immune to the emotional and psychological challenges that affect everyone. The pressures of competition, training demands, injuries, and balancing athletics with school or career can all contribute to stress, anxiety, depression, or burnout. We provide a safe, confidential space for athletes to explore these struggles and receive comprehensive psychiatric care. Our approach combines therapy, medication management when appropriate, and collaboration with coaches, trainers, and families to ensure athletes receive the support they need to thrive both on and off the field.
Enhances Sports Performance
Our sports psychiatry services help athletes unlock their full potential. Performance can be affected by focus, confidence, sleep, motivation, and the ability to recover from setbacks. Through targeted strategies and evidence-based interventions, we work with athletes to strengthen mental resilience, improve concentration, and manage the psychological demands of competition. By addressing both performance barriers and underlying mental health needs, we help athletes build the mental edge required to excel in their sport while maintaining overall well-being.
Injury, Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
When an Athlete Is Physically Cleared But Still Not The Same
Athletes are often told they are medically cleared after an injury or concussion — yet they feel slower, overwhelmed, anxious, or mentally stuck. This is common. Sports performance depends on attention, reaction time, confidence, emotional regulation, and recovery. All of these are brain functions. At Eastern Psychiatric, we evaluate and treat the medical and psychological factors affecting athletic performance, recovery, and well-being.
We work with middle school, high school, collegiate, and professional athletes.
Serving Cherry Hill, Voorhees, Marlton, Medford, Haddonfield and surrounding South Jersey communities
WHAT SPORTS PSYCHIATRY IS
Sports psychiatry evaluates and treats the medical brain-based causes of performance or emotional change.
- Concussion effects on anxiety, mood and focus
- ADHD and attention in athletes (Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE))
- Anxiety during competition
- Loss of confidence
- Emotional crashes after competition
- Depression and anxiety after injury
- Sleep and recovery problems
- Overtraining and burnout
CONCUSSION & POST-CONCUSSIVE SYMPTOMS
When Recovery Stalls After a Concussion
Many athletes recover physically but struggle mentally weeks later.
Common post-concussion symptoms include:
- Trouble concentrating in school or work
- Mental fatigue
- Irritability
- Anxiety about returning to play
- Slower reaction time
- Sensitivity to noise or stimulation
- Mood changes
- Sleep disruption
PERFORMANCE & CONFIDENCE CHANGES
When Performance Suddenly Drops
Athletes frequently seek care for:
- Performance anxiety
- Slumps
- Overthinking mechanics
- Fear of mistakes
- Panic before competition
- Loss of enjoyment
- Emotional crashes after events
- Difficulty balancing academics and athletics
BURNOUT & OVERTRAINING
When Effort Stops Working
Highly driven athletes sometimes develop:
- Exhaustion
- Loss of motivation
- Irritability
- Declining performance despite training
- Sleep disturbance
- Emotional shutdown
- Lack of enjoyment
FOR PARENTS
Signs Your Athlete Should Be Evaluated
Consider an evaluation if your child:
- Avoids practice
- More emotional
- Has lower grades after concussion
- Sleeps excessively or is constantly tired
- Has panic before games
- Withdraws from teammates
- Personality changes
OUR APPROACH
Comprehensive Athlete Evaluation
- Medical contributors
- Injury history
- Academic demands
- Sleep and recovery
- Diet
- Stress
- Personality style
- Emotional regulation patterns
Treatment may include:
- Education and recovery planning
- Therapy
- School accommodations and supports
- Medication when appropriate
- Collaboration with therapists, coaches or trainers (with permission)
CONDITIONS WE TREAT
Common Athlete Concerns
- Post-concussion symptoms
- Performance anxiety
- ADHD in athletes
- Depression and anxiety after injury
- Burnout
- Panic during competition
- Sleep disturbance
- Emotional regulation difficulty
- Return-to-play readiness
WHY EASTERN PSYCHIATRIC
Specialized Adult & Child Psychiatric Care
Led by Dr. Alex Strauss, board-certified in Adult and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, our practice focuses on accurate diagnosis and functional recovery — not just symptom reduction.
- Middle school athletes
- High school athletes
- College athletes
- Adult recreational and competitive athletes
- Professional and Olympic athletes
SERVICE AREA
Sports psychiatry services for South Jersey athletes including:
Cherry Hill, Voorhees, Marlton, Medford, Haddonfield, Moorestown, Mount Laurel
Help Your Athlete Feel Like Themselves Again
Phone: 856-830-5413
Contact Information Below
Eastern Psychiatric, LLC
1930 E. Marlton Pike Building D, Suite D-19
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
Phone: 856-830-5413
Fax: 856-533-1493
Email: info@easternpsychiaric.com
Where you can find us
Executive Mews Cherry Hill
1930 E. Marlton Pike Building D, Suite D-19
Phone: 856-830-5413