Mental Skills Training for Athletes & Performers in Brookline, MA

What is a Sport Psychologist?

As a Sport Psychologist, I train athletes and other performers to develop the mental toughness and competitive edge needed to excel in their chosen fields. My background as a Psychologist gives me the tools to help you unleash your greatest potential both in performing and in living. I practice in Brookline, Massachusetts at Boston Sport & Performance Psychology.

I work with athletes at every level and across sports, as well as non-athlete performers such as musicians, performing artists, and speakers/actors. I love working with teams and have worked with NCAA collegiate sports teams, including conference champion basketball and tennis teams.

Throughout my childhood I participated in competitive tennis. As an adult, I have become hooked on cycling, participating in many Century rides across the U.S. and serving as a mentor for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program. Cycling then led to triathlons. Though my goal will never be to break records (except my own), fitness and sports bring joy, energy, and fun to my life and provide an outlet for my competitive spirit.

Dr. Zucker biking through the Canadian Rockies

Dr. Marla Zucker, avid cyclist, biking in the Rocky Mountains

Credentials

I completed my undergraduate degree at Brown University, doctorate at Georgia State University, and sport psychology graduate work at Boston University. I have worked in the field for over 15 years. I am currently on faculty in the Boston University Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, where I teach and supervise the Master’s and Doctoral students in the Sport Psychology specialization of the Counseling Psychology program. I also provide professional mentoring and consultation to students and other mental health professionals across clinical and sport psychology disciplines.

I am a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology and am listed on the U.S. Olympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry. Licensed as a psychologist in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I am a member of the American Psychological Association and its Division 47, Exercise and Sport Psychology. I have authored numerous publications, lectured at universities, hospitals and medical school programs, and presented my work at local, national, and international conferences and trainings.

In addition to my sport psychology background, I have expertise in trauma, including childhood abuse and neglect, having specialized in trauma treatment, provided training and consultation to other professionals in the field of traumatic stress, and conducted research on cutting-edge trauma treatments for more than 10 years. Prior to joining Boston University, I served as Program and Clinical Director at the Trauma Center and the Metrowest Behavioral Health Center at Justice Resource Institute. I am trained in EMDR and Critical Incident Stress Management. Check out the book I co-authored, “Treating Adult Survivors of Emotional Abuse and Neglect: Component-based Psychotherapy” (Guilford Press, 2018).