Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Wells.
Hi Tara, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m not the typical athlete story. I don’t have accolades to brag about or championships. I have more grief than most because I retired as an early teen who chose to quit sport to stay alive. My mental health was at rock bottom when I was 13 years old, an age we would all agree is delicate and fragile. I couldn’t agree more. I was a lacrosse and tennis athlete who wasn’t necessarily thinking about taking my sport very far, but I loved competition and learning skills and advancing. With that knowledge of what it’s like to be a misunderstood teenager and certainly angsty, I empowered myself to dive into academics and eventually dance. Fast forward to modern day, I ended up in the social work field and found myself empowering teenagers with their own story telling. The crux of my work with Finish Line Mindset is to empower young athletes to be their whole selves which certainly would have supported my own mindset as a pre teen and likely would have kept me further away from suicidal thoughts and self harm. Now, I get to work with kids and families to reduce negative mental health outcomes and get everyone on a healthy path within their sports as well as whole people. I continue this work through clinical mental health counseling as well as advocacy work for youth, LGBTQIA folks and BIPOC athletes.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It certainly has not. Including my own mental health struggles with depression, anxiety, ADHD, and disordered eating, I also work in a world that isn’t fully prepared to attack mental health challenges in a way that seeks out true prevention. Athletes, specifically, are still seen as machines of output rather than human beings with limits, boundaries, and personal lives. It’s an upward battle to do this work so I constantly have conversations about what it fully means to be a mental health therapist for athletes.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I’m the founder of Finish Line Mindset LLC which I run 100% on my own. I built this brand to empower young athletes (13 years and older) with their mental health and growth mindset. I use a mindful approach to support all of my clients as well as other evidence based models for therapy and psychological support. While most of my work is virtual, I have done several in person workshops for south Florida travel sports teams which I love doing. I’m most proud of those workshops because they start as a free offering for all teams and it turns into such an open conversation for athletes to self advocate, often for the first time. For anyone looking for support for themselves or an athlete in their life, know that people like me exist and we’re ready to support. In my practice, I highlight minority athletes (LGBTQ+ and BIPOC), anxiety, trauma, eating disorders, and ADHD. I’m also beginning a virtual group for art therapy with athletes which I’m very excited to launch soon.
Any big plans?
I’m planning to continue to grow the brand, but I enjoy the work too much to scale much bigger than the work now. I’d love to offer more groups to cover more ground for lower cost to the client. I’m also personally moving abroad soon so I will be taking my work internationally while maintaining support in the south Florida community. I’m forever grateful for what south Florida has done for my business and the growth it’s currently in with youth sports. I have a massive passion for travel and adventure so I will be combining these two loves in my next big chapter.
Pricing:
- $125/ 25 minute session
- $200/ 50 minute session
- $150/ 60 minute consultations (professionals and organizations)
- $700/ half day intensive (includes follow up)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://finishlinemindset.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/finishlinemindset
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/tarawellslcsw
