Dr. Elise Nelson is a Clinical Sport Psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) specializing in sport psychology, mental performance, and athlete mental health. She works with athletes from high-level club and youth sport through collegiate, elite, and professional competition, helping them build confidence, manage pressure, navigate setbacks, and develop the mental skills needed to perform at their best.
Dr. Nelson has provided integrated sport psychology, mental performance, and clinical services within NCAA Division I athletic departments at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Nebraska. Her experience includes working with athletes across basketball, soccer, golf, gymnastics, baseball, softball, cross country, and track & field. At Nebraska, she was embedded with the men’s basketball program during its 2025–2026 season, including travel during the team’s run to the Sweet Sixteen. She also supported her teams’ recruiting efforts during her time in collegiate athletics, and she has a special interest in aiding prospective collegiate athletes during their recruitment process.
As a former multi-sport athlete in soccer, basketball, softball, and alpine ski racing, Dr. Nelson brings firsthand understanding of competitive sport to her work. She participated in the Olympic Development Program (ODP), club soccer, and was a multi-time state champion in soccer and basketball. Her experience as both an athlete and coach informs her ability to connect with athletes navigating performance anxiety, confidence challenges, perfectionism, fear of failure, pressure to perform, injury, setbacks, and identity transitions. Dr. Nelson takes an integrative, evidence-based approach that combines clinical psychology, sport psychology, and mental performance strategies, helping athletes develop confidence, resilience, and a healthy, sustainable relationship with their sport.