Footballers and elite athletes
A clinical psychologist for footballers and other elite athletes
I am Dr Daniel O’Rourke, a clinical psychologist. I studied sport and exercise science at the University of Bath and completed my PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Washington, where I also treated student athletes and worked with teams in the university’s athletic department. My research on young athletes, covering anxiety, motivation and concussion, has been published in sport psychology journals, and my concussion paper received the 2017 Outstanding Paper of the Year Award from Division 47 of the American Psychological Association. I treat anxiety, loss of confidence and OCD in professional footballers, academy players and other elite athletes. Players, agents, club doctors, physiotherapists and family members are welcome to enquire. Confidentiality is critical, and players can contact me in confidence.
- Confidential
- Online across the UK, or I come to you
- Weekdays, 9am to 5pm
- HCPCRegistered Clinical Psychologist and Chartered PsychologistRegistration PYL043844
- ABPPBoard certified in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology
- PhDClinical psychology, University of Washington, and a first-class BSc in sport and exercise science, University of Bath
- 2017Outstanding Paper of the Year Award, Division 47 of the American Psychological Association, for concussion research in young athletes
My background
I trained in sport and exercise science before clinical psychology, and my training and research have included athletes throughout. Select a stage to read more.
BSc in Sport and Exercise Science
I studied sport and exercise science at the University of Bath and graduated with first class honours. I received the university’s Sport Psychology Award, and I worked as a researcher in its Sport Psychology Department.
Clinical psychology training
I completed a master’s degree and then a PhD program in clinical psychology at the University of Washington, where I trained in cognitive behavioural therapies. I published research on young athletes, including parental pressure, coaching climate, anxiety and motivation, with Ronald Smith and Frank Smoll, and I contributed to a book chapter on anxiety management in sport.
University of Washington Athletic Department
As part of my clinical training I met with student athletes for performance enhancement, problem solving and the treatment of psychological problems, worked with teams, and coordinated care with a multidisciplinary team.
Concussion research at Seattle Children’s Hospital
I was the primary researcher on a concussion study in the hospital’s Orthopedics Department. I developed the study, obtained approval, recruited families, worked with the medical staff and analysed the data. The paper on psychosocial factors in young athletes’ concussion recovery received the 2017 Outstanding Paper of the Year Award from Division 47 of the American Psychological Association, the Society for Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology. See selected publications.
Residency and postdoctoral fellowship
I completed my psychology residency across the University of Washington, Seattle Children’s Hospital and Harborview Medical Center, followed by a postdoctoral clinical fellowship at Evidence-Based Treatment Centers of Seattle.
Clinical practice and leadership
I have worked as a psychologist at Evidence-Based Treatment Centers of Seattle since 2016. I was Director of Training and Education from 2019 to 2022 and Assistant Director of the Child Anxiety Center from 2022 to 2024, and I have supervised qualified clinicians and trainees. I am board certified (ABPP) in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology, a Chartered Psychologist, and registered with the HCPC as a Clinical Psychologist.
The demands of elite sport
Elite athletes are judged in public every week, work to a schedule and travel set by the club, and have careers that can change quickly through injury, a new manager or deselection. Some players worry that telling anyone at the club about a mental health problem could affect selection or a contract, and they may have few people to speak to in confidence. Treatment has to fit around that, so sessions can be arranged around travel, and what is said in them is confidential.
What I treat
I treat the same problems in footballers as in anyone else. Each affects quality of life first, through sleep, relationships and enjoyment, and can also affect performance, because attention, decision making and recovery depend on how a person is sleeping and what is occupying their mind. I do not promise a particular effect on performance. Select a problem to see what it does.
Performance anxiety and loss of confidence
What it is
Worry about performing, fear of making mistakes or of failing, harsh self-criticism, or a loss of belief after a poor run of form or an injury.
How it can affect a player
Can affect how a player trains, decides and plays, and how they feel away from football. CBT works on the worry, the avoidance and the self-critical thinking behind it.
OCD
What it is
Unwanted thoughts, images or urges, and the checking, avoiding or reassurance-seeking used to try to relieve them.
How it can affect a player
Takes up attention a player needs in training and matches, and can disrupt routines and sleep. Treatment is exposure and response prevention (ERP), a form of CBT.
Generalised anxiety and worry
What it is
Worry that is hard to switch off, with tension, poor sleep and difficulty concentrating.
How it can affect a player
Poor sleep and constant tension can make recovery between matches harder.
Health anxiety
What it is
Persistent fear of serious illness or of what a symptom means.
How it can affect a player
In an athlete this can mean constant checking of the body and difficulty trusting a sensation after hard training or injury.
Panic
What it is
Sudden surges of fear with physical symptoms such as a racing heart.
How it can affect a player
A player may start avoiding training, travel, crowds or matches for fear of the next attack.
Social anxiety
What it is
Fear of being judged or embarrassed, including by teammates, supporters or people online.
How it can affect a player
Can lead to avoiding media duties or speaking up in the dressing room.
Specific phobias
What it is
An intense fear of a particular thing or situation, out of proportion to the danger.
How it can affect a player
A fear of flying can make away fixtures difficult, and a fear of needles can get in the way of medical treatment.
Body dysmorphic disorder
What it is
A preoccupation with a perceived flaw in appearance that is minor or that others do not notice.
How it can affect a player
Can be harder to put aside when an athlete’s body is constantly observed and measured.
Anxiety after an injury or a concussion
What it is
Worry about being injured again, or about returning to play.
How it can affect a player
Can make a return to training harder, where anxiety is the main problem. My own research looked at psychological and social factors in young athletes’ concussion recovery.
Treatment is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and, for OCD, exposure and response prevention (ERP). My work is the clinical treatment of these problems. If the main problem is something else, such as depression or addiction, I will say so on the first call and help the player find the right service.
Sessions and special arrangements
A standard session lasts 60 minutes, on weekdays between 9am and 5pm, by video anywhere in the UK, or in person, where I can travel to the player’s home or elsewhere by arrangement. I can also arrange other things where a player needs them, such as a full day or sessions around travel. What is involved and what it costs is agreed before anything starts. If someone other than the player pays, for example a club or an agent, they are invoiced, the player has to agree to this first, and paying does not entitle them to any other information about the player or the treatment.
How to make an enquiry
Choose who you are and I will explain what to send and what happens next.
Use the contact form and say that you are a footballer or elite athlete, or email or phone me if you would rather not use a form. I will reply and we will find a time to talk confidentially. The first call is free and lasts 20 minutes.
Use the contact form and give your name and role, say whether the player knows you are writing, and leave out health detail. I will reply, but I will not confirm whether the player has been in touch or has booked. I arrange sessions with the player directly.
Use the contact form with your name and role, or give the player my details so that the player can contact me. Leave out health detail. I do not report back to you unless the player has agreed in writing, and then I share only what the player has agreed.
Use the contact form and say who the player is and whether the player knows you are writing. I do not discuss a player who is an adult unless the player has agreed in writing. For a player under 18, what is shared with parents or carers is agreed at the start with the player and a parent or carer.
Free 20-minute call
Not sure whether this is the right fit?
A player can start with a free 20-minute call to talk through what has been happening. If I cannot help, I will try to point the player to someone who can.
Weekdays, 9am to 5pm. No GP or club referral needed.