Lori Santa Maria

Hi, I’m Lori, and I’m passionate about helping athletes strengthen their mindset so they can perform, grow, and enjoy their sport both on and off the field. I specialize in sports mental health counseling, working with teens, young adults, and adults who are navigating performance anxiety, confidence issues, burnout, injury recovery, and the mental pressure that comes with competition. I also support clients through broader life challenges like anxiety, depression, major transitions, and finding balance during uncertain or high-stress seasons—because what happens outside of sport often shows up inside it, too. My counseling style is warm, genuine, and collaborative. I believe therapy works best when it feels like a true partnership, tailored to your unique goals and experiences. I draw from evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) to help build self-awareness, resilience, and practical coping skills you can use in competition and everyday life. I’m currently completing my master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Grand Canyon University and earning supervised clinical hours. I also hold a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing from Arizona State University and bring firsthand experience as a former collegiate athlete and coach. As a pre-licensed counselor, I work under the supervision of Virginia Kuhn, M.A., LPC, approved by the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners (AZBBHE). I also work with adults navigating a wide range of life transitions — from anxiety, depression, and job loss to divorce, midlife shifts, and finding purpose in uncertain times.