Nicole Gabana Chiesa, PhD CMPC
Dr. Nicole Gabana Chiesa is a licensed sport psychologist and certified mental performance consultant who specializes in working with high-performing individuals and teams to enhance performance and improve overall mental wellbeing. Nicole has served as a sport psychologist for a range of youth, collegiate, and professional athletes who are dedicated to mastering their mental game. She approaches her work from a holistic perspective that incorporates the mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of the person and performer.
Dr. Nicole has served in a variety of different roles as a sport psychologist. She spent three years as an Assistant Professor of Sport Psychology at Florida State University where she became one of the first academic researchers to explore the benefits of gratitude on athlete mental health and performance. She has published numerous studies and book chapters on the topics of sport psychology, positive psychology, gratitude, spirituality, resilience, and athlete mental health.
Following her role at Florida State, Dr. Nicole served as the Director of Sport Psychology at University of Massachusetts Amherst. As the first full-time sport psychologist in their Division I athletic department, she spearheaded initiatives to address the mental side of sport, including both mental health awareness and mental skills training. At UMass, she conducted individual sport psychology sessions with athletes daily, as well as leading performance enhancement programming for 21 teams across 14 different sports.
Tailored to meet individuals’ unique needs, goals, and experiences through a holistic lens, Dr. Nicole’s approach explores the mind-body-spirit connection. She enjoys finding creative ways to maximize mental skills, identify strengths and support systems, foster faith, and develop effective coping strategies; empowering clients to build resilience and respond effectively to the many challenges of elite performance and life.
Dr. Nicole has served as a mental performance consultant to a variety of professional, collegiate, and youth athletes, including teams and coaches from Division I-III institutions including The Ohio State University, Indiana University, Harvard University, Florida State University, and Florida A&M University. She is also listed in the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Mental Health Registry and has consulted with Fortune 500 Companies to enhance team dynamics, mental performance, and workplace wellbeing.
Dr. Nicole received her bachelor’s degree from the College of the Holy Cross where she rowed for the Division I crew team. She obtained her M.S. from Springfield College and Ph.D. from Indiana University Bloomington, where she served as an Associate Instructor of Sport Psychology and Positive Psychology. During this time, she also provided counseling and consultation to the IU Athletic Department. Dr. Nicole completed her pre-doctoral internship at The Ohio State University where she worked as a counselor and consultant to OSU students, athletes and teams.
Her professional and clinical interests include performance identity, performing under pressure, emotion regulation, interpersonal dynamics, transitions, spirituality, and exploring meaning and purpose in performance and life.
In 2022, Dr. Nicole left the university setting to pursue her private practice, Pax Perform, LLC, which is based in Florida. She offers mental performance consultation, general mental health counseling, as well as Christian counseling and consultation for clients seeking a faith-based approach.
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