Female tennis player waiting for a serve

Care for the Human Behind the Performance

Our work is to help athletes perform with freedom and to change the narrative of what it means for performers to be excellent at their sport, by integrating care for the human behind every performance. Through individual counseling, group programs, and performance development, we’re here for performers of every kind and for those who stand beside and behind them.

What We Offer

Individual and Team Support for High Performers, Coaches, and Families

Confluence was born from a question: who is caring for the inner life of the athlete? We’ve seen it up close — the meltdowns on the field, the joy turning into obligation, the anxiety before games, the perfectionism that tells performers their worth depends on their output. Coaches, clubs, and parents see it too. Traditional models of care can be helpful, but there are very few integrated models that hold space for both mental health counseling and performance support for the high performer. Confluence is our answer to that question.

ONE-ON-ONE INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS

Whether you’re working to sharpen your mental skills or you’re carrying something heavier off the field, our individual sessions hold space for both. We offer short-term and long-term counseling that integrates mental health support with performance development, because we believe those are never really separate.

CUSTOMIZED GROUP SESSIONS

Peak performance doesn’t happen in isolation. We offer customized workshops and group sessions for teams, coaches, and families, as well as structured group therapy for clients navigating shared challenges.

OUR TEAM CAN HELP WITH THESE TOPICS

Confidence + Resilience

Nobody is born mentally tough. Resilience is a practice, not a personality trait – a set of skills that gets sharper each time a performer faces something hard and stays present through it. Confidence follows the same path: earned through adversity, not granted before it.

Recruitment

The recruitment process asks young athletes to market themselves and make major life decisions while figuring out who they are. It can seem like a performer’s entire future hangs in the balance. Learn to stay grounded and navigate the process with more clarity.

Coach-Athlete Relationships

The relationship between an athlete and coach can shape confidence, motivation, and performance. Athletes and coaches must navigate through communication challenges, conflict, and expectations to build stronger, healthier, partnerships and to support growth on and off the field.

Trauma

Trauma impacts the whole self and shows up in ways that aren’t always obvious, such as hypervigilance, avoidance, disconnection, or explosive reactions. Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all. We know trauma, and we guide you towards safety, integration, and a way forward.

Perfectionism

Perfectionism can look like dedication until it starts to take a toll. We help you separate your worth from your performance, quiet the inner critic, and pursue excellence without being punished for it.

Anxiety

Anxiety shows up everywhere. Nerves are a normal part of performance but sometimes that system gets hijacked and the pressure takes over the moment. Our work focuses on understanding what’s driving it, building tools to manage it, and reclaiming the parts of life anxiety has taken up space in.

Depression

Depression can look different in a high performer. Outside it looks like you’re showing up but inside, motivation fades, connection feels harder, and even the sport or craft that once brought joy can start to feel empty. Together we can identify what’s fueling it, rebuild purpose and connection, and find the way back to a life that feels worth showing up for.

Athletic Identity

When your sense of self is so closely tied to your sport participation, changes like injury, benching, or retirement can feel like losing yourself. We want to decouple identity from performance and aid athletes in building a diverse sense of self.

Mental Blocks

Sometimes your body knows exactly what to do but your mind won’t let it or it feels like you’ve forgotten how to do something you’ve done a thousand times. We help performers understand what’s driving a block and find their way back to trusting themselves again.

Burnout

Elite sport requires a laundry list of sacrifices. Without proper time for recovery, your sport can turn into an obligation rather than a privilege. We can teach you the tools to recognize burnout and find a sustainable relationship with your sport, never shaming the loss of joy but working to recover it.

Eating Disorders + Body Image

Performance pressure in sport can distort how athletes see their bodies and relate to food. Social media adds to the noise for players of every age. Our team helps athletes untangle these pressures and develop a healthier relationship with their bodies.

Career Transition

High performers often face transition in their careers with new levels of competition, recovering from injury, graduating, or retiring from their sport. Although these moments can bring uncertainty and loss of identity, they can also be a time of exciting opportunities. We will assist you in navigating these changes with courage and purpose, so you thrive in sports and beyond.

Team Culture

An elite team is more than just a team of elite players. Groups and workshops offer coaches and athletes the team-building frameworks that Olympic and professional teams use to develop cohesion rooted in trust and shared values.

Emotional Regulation

The arena of competitive sports is filled with big and raw emotions, where adrenaline collides with high stakes. We help you build tools for managing big emotions in real time, so you can play with emotions rather than be an emotional player.

Mental Skills Training

Confidence, self-talk, visualization, pre-performance routines: the mental game is trainable, just like the physical one. With the right performance support, athletes build a toolkit they can carry into every practice and competition.

Confluence Specializes in High Performance Counseling

Mental Health

We support clarity of mind and resilience in the face of life’s challenges, including anxiety, depression, trauma, and the full range of mental health concerns. Our team is here to help you think clearly and live fully no matter what you’re facing.

Emotional Health

The inner life of a performer deserves attention. With care, you can understand and regulate your emotions, process different feelings, and stay present under pressure so you can show up authentically in sports and every part of your life.

Social Health

Connection matters. We equip you with the tools you need to build meaningful relationships and navigate the communities you’re part of, strengthening the bonds that sustain you through challenges and celebrations alike.

Meet Our Team

Vadim Jacobson,
LGPC, CMPC

Sport: Swimming

Being a competitive athlete was one of my life’s great privileges. As a lifelong swimmer, I discovered that I was capable of far more than I ever imagined, but that pressure came at a cost. The relentless pursuit of perfection took a toll on my mental health, and my work with athletes seeks to disprove the myth that mental health and mental performance are unable to coexist. I am both a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) with the Association of Applied Sport Psychology as well as a Maryland-licensed mental health clinician. My work is primarily with youth and collegiate athletes on confidence, focus, performance anxiety, perfectionism, and burnout, as well as through transitions like injury recovery and retirement. My approach is collaborative, exploratory, strengths-based, and grounded in evidence-based methods like CBT, ACT, and mindfulness. Together, we’ll work to separate your self-worth from your performance outcomes and build an identity beyond your sport, so you can compete from a place of joy and passion instead of self-doubt and fear.

Shana Martinez,
PsyD, LGPC

Sport: Basketball and Baseball

Mental health is at the core of how we perform, connect, and navigate everyday life. As a former collegiate basketball player, I personally experienced how pressure, competition, and balancing responsibilities can affect confidence, focus, and motivation — an experience that shaped my belief that strong mental skills build resilience, clarity, and consistency in every area of life, not just performance. As a licensed clinician and as a mental performance counselor, I work with youth and adult performers to strengthen mindset, manage stress and anxiety, build confidence, and improve overall functioning. My approach is collaborative and individualized: together, we’ll create strategies that fit your background, goals, and environment, and build practical tools and habits to help you feel and perform your best. I am working towards my CMPC credential and I hold a doctorate in psychology and post-graduate certificate in sports psychology.

Kylie Ryan,
LMSW

Sport: Field Hockey and Gymnastics

As a former Division I and Division III field hockey athlete and competitive gymnast, I understand firsthand the demands of sport and the unique pressures athletes face. My own experiences sparked my passion for helping athletes build a healthier relationship with themselves and their sport. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and a Master of Social Work from Salisbury University, and my Master’s degree in Sport Psychology from Florida State University, and I am working towards my CMPC credentials. My primary clinical interests include helping athletes navigate perfectionism, perform confidently under pressure, and strengthen the coach-athlete relationship. I am excited about helping athletes pursue excellence, and my goal is to help athletes not only perform at their best, but find fulfillment, balance, and enjoyment throughout their athletic journey.

Jason Hovey,
LCPC

Sport: Hockey and Soccer

I’m a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and the founder of Confluence Mind and Performance. For more than a decade, I’ve sat with people in the hardest seasons of their lives, and I’ve learned that with the right support, people are capable of far more change than they believe. I’m also a dad to three daughters who all compete. I spent years on the sidelines as a parent and a coach, watching athletes who love their sport come to experience it as a source of stress and pressure. I started asking how we help these athletes perform well while also supporting their mental, emotional, and relational health. Thus, Confluence. This practice brings together clinicians trained in both mental health and mental performance who share the same conviction I hold: the athlete and the person are never really separate.

Anna Boehk

Operations

Sport: Dance and Football

As someone who grew up active but not in sports, I’ve always looked with admiration on athletes and high performers who operate at the top of their game, knowing how much grit, hard work, and determination lies behind what looks like ease and natural talent. I’m honored to be working behind the scenes in operations to make it easier for our team to support you. I’ve been in management, education, and operations for more than a decade, and I’m just a phone call away from helping you get started with Confluence.

YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, WE HAVE ANSWERS

Reach out to us if you have any questions that aren’t covered in our FAQs.

Mental health counseling is licensed clinical care. It’s for athletes or high performers – or anyone – working through something that affects how they feel and function that may require a clinical diagnosis. Mental performance work focuses on building mental skills and handling pressure. It isn’t treatment for a mental health diagnosis or condition. In practice, these two often overlap, but our integrated model means you don’t have to choose on your own. We’ll help you find the right fit.

Our office is located in Annapolis, Maryland. Due to state licensure requirements, we only offer mental health counseling for individuals in the state of Maryland. Our mental performance work can be offered to teams, organizations, and clients across Maryland and in surrounding states. We work with high performers of any age and across any industry or sport.

We offer a hybrid model of mental health counseling to our individual clients who live in Maryland, which means we can meet at our Annapolis office or via Zoom. The location of our mental performance clients is not restricted to Maryland. Our preference is always to meet in person, but we understand that life gets in the way. Our team workshops, groups, and events can be held at our office or on site, and we are willing to travel.

Because we offer an integrated model of mental health and performance counseling, we are a private pay practice and do not bill insurance directly. We can provide you with a superbill for mental health counseling sessions which you can submit to your insurance company if you have out-of-network coverage or an HSA/FSA plan.

No! Our sister practice is called Rogue River Counseling, which specializes in adult trauma, addiction, and relationship distress. Both Confluence and Rogue River are owned and operated by the same team, and both are located in Annapolis. The river imagery in the Confluence brand is a nod to Rogue River Counseling.

Contact Us

Send us a message or give us a call so we can talk more about what you or your athlete need. We try our best to respond to all messages same day.

High Performer Mental Health + Performance Coaching