Mental Performance Training

Mental Performance Training is designed to help athletes and performers enhance focus, decision-making, emotional regulation, resilience and cognitive flexibility. You can benefit from mental performance if:

  • You don’t perform as well in games/competitions as I do in practices

  • Your performance in “big” (high pressure) games/competitions drops compared to regular games/competitions

  • You have difficulty concentrating or frequently lose focus

  • You have difficulty recovering from setbacks/mistakes

  • You are coming back from an injury

  • You wish your performances were more consistent

  • You would like to better manage your emotions during games/competitions and stay in your optimal performance window

  • You would like to build and sustain confidence

  • You are preparing to or have recently transitioned to a higher level of competition

  • You are preparing for tryouts or high-level competitions

  • You are in your off season- and want to train your mental performance skills free of the unique demands of season

Each individual Mental Performance session is tailored to your peak performance goals. Techniques are specifically designed and practiced to improve mental performance and activate the mind-body connection (get out of your head and into the fullest expression of your skills!). The goal is to empower you to take control of your thoughts and emotions, and help you realize how your mental/emotional state is a key factor in your performance. You will be asked to reflect on the sessions and how the tools are working for you. Adjustments will be made as needed throughout the process. If you have any questions beforehand, feel free to reach out. Looking forward to connecting with you and helping you unlock your peak performance potential!

Shannon Suffoletto, MA, CMPC, LCPC, CMPC
GFSA Mental Skills Coach

Shannon Suffoletto is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC), Licensed ClinicalProfessional Counselor (LCPC), and Board-Certified Dance Movement Therapist (BC-DMT). She is certified in Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) and Movement Pattern Analysis (MPA).

Shannon’s approach centers around fostering the mind/body connection.  She employs creative techniques to regulate the nervous system and create neuropathways in service of peak performance and becoming one’s very best version of themselves.  Shannon is particularly interested in where athleticism meets artistry and how that can be fostered in every high performer.

Shannon works with youth, collegiate and professional athletes and is listed in the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee 2025 Mental Health and Mental Performance Registries.  Shannon serves as the Certified Mental Performance Consultant for the Chicago Dogs professional baseball team in Rosemont, IL. 

Additionally, Shannon provides consultation, mental skills and mental health training to coaches, teams and athletic organizations.  She is an adjunct faculty member in the College of Education at DePaul University, teaching sport psychology.  She has taught undergraduate and graduate psychology and dance/movement therapy courses at Columbia College Chicago and is guest faculty at the Beijing Normal University in Beijing, China.  Shannon is a Co-Founder of the

Embodied Education Institute of Chicago (EEIC).  She has more than 15 years of service in higher education administration as a prevention and wellness specialist where she served specialized populations, including athletes and high performers. 

Shannon holds a BA in Psychology and Dance from Denison University and a master’s degree (MA) in Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling from Columbia College Chicago.