Meet Ben Slattery | Mental Health and Performance Practitioner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ben Slattery and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ben, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
The distinction between mental performance and mental health. Sport psychology has gained more traction over recent years in large part due to high profile athletes, such as Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka, being more outspoken about their mental health. Typically, practitioners of sport psychology are called sport psychologists, which is true for trained and licensed psychologists, but not all sport psychology professionals are psychologists, just like how not all all medical professionals are doctors.

I was a personal trainer in college and worked specifically with students having identified health risks, so the focus of their training programs had more of a preventative approach in mind, rather than a reactive one. So why not consider approaching mental health and fitness similarly?

You don’t need to be struggling with clinical mental health issues to try mental skills training. I’m a big proponent of adopting a growth mindset (see Dr. Carol Dweck’s work, “Mindset”), and that no matter your current levels of proficiency and competency, there are always challenging and fulfilling ways to learn and grow (that isn’t driven by perfectionism). Being deliberate in developing your mental skills toolbox may seem a bit awkward and unfamiliar at first, but that’s okay(!), because starting to learn any new skill isn’t a smooth ride, right? But with deliberate practice, those skills will sharpen, and you will become more comfortable and confident over time, just like riding a bike.

Hopefully that was a helpful summary, but if anyone would like to learn more about the similarities and differences between mental health and mental performance work please don’t hesitate to reach out, as I can definitely elaborate further!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career journey has not been linear, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. It started with leaving home in St. Paul, Minnesota to go to UCLA and sunny Los Angeles. Initially outside of my comfort zones in a very challenging and rigorous environment, I was rewarded with unique personal and professional development opportunities, but more in the physical health and wellness spaces. My primary commitments were with a student-run organization that orchestrated free workout and health education classes for students on campus, while also leading a sister volunteer project to bring more physical health opportunities to underserved elementary schools. From those experiences I knew helping people in their health pursuits was going to be a core principle, but was unsure how that would come to fruition as a career.

The real challenges began when I sustained my first serious knee injury playing basketball at the end of my time at UCLA, and injuries became a theme over the next five years, including a torn Achilles’ tendon and torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), on separate occasions, all thanks to basketball. Recovering from injuries was lonely and isolating, but also allowed for space to step back, re-evaluate, and explore a little bit. Prior to coming to Denver in 2020 to pursue my Master’s degree in Sport & Performance Psychology at the University of Denver, I dipped my toe in the food service spaces as a culinary assistant at a Twin Cities cooking school. I initially felt like I wasn’t doing enough, and was comparing my situation to peers who had also recently graduated. But as the saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy, and I was robbing myself of personal satisfaction.

So I learned to embrace my journey for its’ uniqueness. The hardships and challenges along the way developed grit and resiliency, and the range and depth of experiences molded a capacity to be flexible and adaptable. It is not just about what happens to you, but how you make those things part of your great story. I’m incredibly proud and grateful to have learned and grown through each challenge because I wouldn’t be in the position I am now if I hadn’t.

Down the line my hope is to build a comprehensive training facility, a space that can serve as some sort of “one-stop shop” for health and wellness services and resources, with a gym, kitchen, rooms for group and individual sessions, and even a garden and green space for eco-friendly and nature elements. But for right now, my present focus is becoming more connected in the professional counseling and sport psychology communities, along with building my private practice, Slattery Performance & Psychological Services!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Given a car is accessible, we would have to get out and explore the nature Colorado has to offer. Some of the favorites not too far from the city are Golden and Evergreen, and Red Rocks is also in the neighborhood! If time permits, drive out to Boulder, or even Estes Park to then visit Rocky Mountain National Park. Great food options in Boulder on Pearl Street after some time outdoors!

Walking (or scootering) around the sights and scenes of downtown Denver, from Larimer Square, to Union Station and McGregor Square, then can branch either to the the different levels of Lower Highlands (LoHi), or explore RiNo or down Broadway for great bar and brewery scenes. Tennyson Street is also a fun and more “homey” area to show people around and dine out. And lastly, would recommend First Friday Art Walks on Santa Fe Drive near downtown for the monthly art crawl and food trucks!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Definitely need to shoutout my family, particularly my parents and sister, Kate. They have been incredibly supportive throughout each stage of my journey and are foundational in being able to pursue my passions! Also, a thank you to the wonderful mentors and leaders who have invested in me, and have been gracious in sharing their knowledge and wisdom. We all can learn from the past and the people who lived it.

Big shoutout to my friends, classmates, and peers, especially in the sport & performance psychology field. It has been an uphill journey since the get-go, which makes me admire our passion and perseverance to be excellent practitioners and advocates for the field even more!

I mentioned Carol Dweck’s work on growth mindset(s) earlier and highly recommend her book, plus a few other books that have been invaluable are “Range” by David Epstein, “Wooden” by legendary basketball coach John Wooden, and “The First Rule of Mastery” by Michael Gervais.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slattery.performance/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-slattery-ma-lpcc-ncc-2b639410b/

Other: Can reach me at ben@slatperformancepsych.com

Image Credits
First Additional Photo – from the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP)’s LinkedIn Page from the 2024 Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV.
Second Additional Photo – From the Bruins Movin’ at UCLA’s Fitness Field Day on UCLA’s campus.
Third Additional Photo – From Karl-Anthony Towns’ Youth Basketball ProCamp in Golden Valley, MN
Fourth Additional Photo – The Power House in St. Paul, MN.
Fifth Additional Photo – Group photo from our panel presentation at the 2024 AASP Southwest Regional Conference in Denver, CO.