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You Get Hurt, You Need Mental Skills!
The Role of Sport Psychology in Injury Prevention By: Dr. Jenny Swanson, EdD, LICSW, LCSW, CMPC Injury is one of the biggest fears for...

Jenny Swanson, LICSW
Apr 294 min read


Stop Getting Discouraged When It Comes to Your Riding Goals!
How to Track Your Riding Progress Without Getting Discouraged By: Dr. Jenny Swanson, EdD, LICSW, LCSW, CMPC Progress in equestrian sports...

Jenny Swanson, LICSW
Apr 223 min read


Does a High-Risk Sport Always Have to be High Stress?
How to Develop Emotional Regulation Skills to Improve Performance By: Dr. Jenny Swanson, EdD, LICSW, LCSW, CMPC The Importance of...

Jenny Swanson, LICSW
Apr 156 min read


Stop Spooking Yourself!
By: Dr. Jenny Swanson, EdD, LICSW, LCSW, CMPMC Every equestrian has faced that heart-stopping moment when their horse spooks, tenses up,...

Jenny Swanson, LICSW
Apr 83 min read


Understanding the Mind-Body Connection in Riding: The Fight, Flight, and Freeze Response
By: Dr. Jenny Swanson, EdD, LICSW, LCSW, CMPC The Rider’s Nervous System at Work Every equestrian knows that riding isn’t just a physical...

Jenny Swanson, LICSW
Mar 185 min read


How Self-Talk Impacts Your Performance (and How to Improve It)
By: Dr. Jenny Swanson, EdD, LICSW, LCSW, CMPC The way you talk to yourself matters—both in and out of the saddle. Whether you're...

Jenny Swanson, LICSW
Mar 114 min read


The Pressure to Be Perfect: How Perfectionism Affects Equestrian Athletes
By: Jenny Swanson, EdD, LICSW, LCSW, CMPC Photo credit: Kathy Russell Photography In the equestrian world, the pursuit of excellence is a...

Jenny Swanson, LICSW
Mar 34 min read


5 Mental Skills Every Equestrian Should Master
When people think about equestrian sports, they often focus on physical skills—balance, position, and rhythm. But riding is as much a...

Jenny Swanson, LICSW
Feb 242 min read


Coping with Fear of Re-Injury After an Accident
“Get back in the ring” is more than just a saying—it can be a real challenge when fear lingers after an injury. By: Dr. Jenny Swanson,...

Jenny Swanson, LICSW
Feb 174 min read


Confidence Boosters for Nervous Riders
Ever felt your heart race, palms sweat, or mind go blank right before entering the ring? You're not alone. By: Jenny Swanson, EdD, LICSW,...

Jenny Swanson, LICSW
Feb 102 min read


Dr. Taylor Swift & Your Mental Health
Dr. Taylor Swift & Your Mental Health| jennyswansonlicsw.com/blog By: Jenny Swanson, LICSW My fellow Swifties will know that today, May...

Jenny Swanson, LICSW
May 18, 20222 min read


5 Tips to Start the New Year Off Right!
Two days after we ring in the New Year, I get to continue festivities as I celebrate my birthday a few short days after. This year, it’s...

Jenny Swanson, LICSW
Dec 31, 20213 min read


How to recover from a bad mental health day
How to make a comeback after a bad mental health day. Steps for success to overcome anxiety and horse show nerves!

Jenny Swanson, LICSW
Nov 28, 20214 min read


Choosing confidence.
Has a trainer ever told you, “You need to be more confident in your choices” or “You need to trust it/yourself”? Or just “Be more...

Jenny Swanson, LICSW
Sep 3, 20213 min read


Toxic Positivity
Toxic Positivity in sport. Taking a closer look at what it is and how it effects competitive equestrians.

Jenny Swanson, LICSW
Apr 12, 20213 min read


“How can a therapist like you be so bad at helping yourself?!”
Over dinner one night at a horse show, someone said “How can a therapist like you be so bad at helping yourself?!” to me. We had spent...

Jenny Swanson, LICSW
Mar 6, 20213 min read


Do you circle?
I did it. I hung onto my left rein and pulled out of the line. I stopped before the jump, 4, 3, 2, even 1 stride away. I circled out of...

Jenny Swanson, LICSW
Jan 21, 20212 min read


Riding with Intrusive Thoughts
As equestrians, we encounter intrusive thoughts more often than we think. Read on to learn more about what intrusive thoughts are and how to

Jenny Swanson, LICSW
Jan 11, 20213 min read
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