About Dr. Brent Felnagle, PsyD
About Me
Hi! My name is “Dr. Brent Felnagle but you can call me Brent”
My love for therapy and helping others came at an early age in my own personal development. I was an athlete growing up and ran collegiately. After my transition out of sport my intent on becoming the best “runner” had shifted to being the best “version of myself”. Whether that best comes in my job, in my relationships or taking a nap. Being the best version of myself is not perfection, it is not always “put together” or always “strong”. Moreso it is flexible, good intentioned, authentic and open and many other aspects that are unique to me. It is in the pursuit of finding the best version of myself that sets me on the path towards living a meaningful and purposeful life. It is in meaning and purpose that brings about psychological flourishing and wellness. Because this process has had such a profound impact on my life and has been supported through my educational development, I have dedicated my life towards helping others create the same clarity and purpose within their own lives.
A few aspects of my therapy approach I would like to highlight. The first is that I am progress oriented. I want you to feel like coming to therapy is worth your time and thus I make sure to consistently check in on your goals along the way. The second is I try to balance talking about the “hard stuff” while make therapy feel warm, welcoming and comfortable. I recognize therapy is not easy at times, and thus I try and make sure we are going at a pace that you want while at the same time inviting us to push towards change. The third is I blend a focus of “processing” and “skills building”. I think both approaches are useful and have a place in therapy. Depending on your needs, we will collaborate on what feels like the best fit for your individual goals.
I care deeply about my craft and the value I try to provide to my clients. It is why I dedicated 8 years of graduate school in pursuit of becoming the best therapist I can be. I am not the therapist for everyone, however once I begin working with you, I will do everything in my power to make sure you find the path that is right for you. If you are interested to learn more about me and the work we can do, please reach out.
Background
Education:
Pacific University
School of Graduate Psychology
PsyD, Clinical Psychology
Hillsboro, OR
Denver University
Graduate school of professional psychology
MA, sport and performance psychology
Denver, CO
Clinical training
Tara Sanderson and Associates
Group Practice
Postdoctoral Resident
Tigard, OR
Oregon State University
College counseling and athletic department
APA Doctoral Psychology Intern
Corvallis, OR
University of Portland
Athletic department
Doctoral fellow/ Clinical Psychologist
Portland, OR
Send Me A Message
Sport and Performance Psychology
There are three things you can train: You can train the body, the craft and the mind. Many of us know how to train the first two. However many don’t know what training the mind looks like. A sport and performance psychologist is someone who works with individuals or groups who are unwilling to take any risks in their development and want to leverage all three aspects of performance. Training the mind includes development of key psychological aspects that relate to high performance. The methods utilized are backed in evidence based research and are utilized to train the best of the best in their fields.
Some of the aspects I train regarding sport and performance psychology include:
Performance anxiety and focus- Training to place your attention on what matters most so that you give yourself the best opportunity to be successful
Confidence and motivation- Helping the performer to stay consistent through the inevitable ups and downs of the performance journey
Resiliency- The ability to “bounce back” from a poor performance so that the individual grows from the experience as opposed to getting stuck
Change of roles- This includes promotions, demotions and career changes.
Injury rehabilitation- Rehabbing from injury requires not only physical rehab but also mental. Helping get an athlete back or even in a stronger place mentally from before the injury.
Finding more consistency- Replicating high end performances regardless of environment or other circumstances.
Communication- Improving ability to articulate and stand up for ideas and beliefs even in challenging or problematic environments
Finding the love for performance again- Many performers lose sense of their “why”. Helping performers reconnect to the aspects that got them into their performance in the first place
I believe most things are considered a “performance” and thus could benefit from the usage of a sport and performance psychologist. Services I provide include:
Individual sessions
Team workshops
Development of specific skills
Group presentations
Providing knowledge and development in key psychological skills
If you are wanting to learn more information, have questions or are not sure if my services are right for you I encourage you to reach out for a free 15 minute phone consultation. This will allow me to better assess your needs and whether my approach may align with your goals