Mission
The Virginia Tech Athletics Department contracts with the Thomas E. Cook Counseling Center to provide psychological services for its student-athletes through the Sport Psychology Office. The mission of the Sport Psychology Office is to promote student-athlete learning and development. Consistent with the university's mission to "educate the whole person," the Sport Psychology Program promotes the academic, intellectual, social, emotional, athletic, and personal development of student-athletes.

Services
The Sport Psychology Program provides personal counseling, performance enhancement and psychological skills training, psychological rehabilitation from injury, assessment, and consultation with coaching, medical, training, and administrative staff. Mental skills training and team building activities are also available for teams.

Confidentiality
Information disclosed in individual counseling sessions is confidential. Information will be released only with the express written consent of the student-athlete or in instances where disclosure is required by law (e.g. threat of harm to self/others, court order, abuse of children or incapacitated adult).

Gary Bennett, Ph.D.
Sport Psychology Coordinator, Clinical and Sport Psychologist
Member, American Psychological Association, Division 47 (Exercise and Sport Psychology)
Member, Association of Applied Sport Psychology
Sport Psychology interests include performance enhancement, team building, and substance misuse.

Referral Process
Referrals/appointments can be made by contacting the Sport Psychology Office as 231-2556 or by stopping in the office in 112 Merryman Athletic Center. Dr. Bennett can also be reached by email at gabennet@vt.edu. Appointments may also be scheduled through the Cook Counseling Center at 231-6557.

Office Hours
Regular office hours are Mondays-Fridays 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. Other times are available by appointment.

Paul Knackstedt, M.S., Psy. D.
Clinical and Sport Psychologist
Member, American Psychological Association, Division 47 (Exercise and Sport Psychology)
Member, Association of Applied Sport Psychology
Sport Psychology interests include individual and team performance enhancement consultation comprising focus training, mental imagery, mindfulness meditation, leadership consultation, and team building. Paul's other interests include returning to play after injury, retirement from sport, grief and loss, perfectionism, anxiety, and depression.

Referral Process
Referrals/appointments can be made by contacting the Sport Psychology Office as 231-2556 or by stopping in the office in 112 Merryman Athletic Center. Dr. Knackstedt can also be reached by email at pknack35@vt.edu. Appointments may also be scheduled through the Cook Counseling Center at 231-6557.

Office Hours
Regular office hours are Mondays 8:00 am - 12:00 pm, Tuesdays 8:00am - 12:00 pm, and Wednesdays from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. Other individual and group times may be available by appointment.

Cook Counseling Center
The Cook Counseling Center (www.ucc.vt.edu) provides after hours on-call emergency services 24 a day, 7 days a week. Access emergency services by calling the Counseling Center at 231-6557 or the Schiffert Health Center at 231-6444.

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In The News

A collaborative approach by Tech's sports medicine staff and sport psychologists has the department meeting student-athlete needs on mental health issues, NCAA priority areas, and looking for ways to do more
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