Mental & Sports Performance
Achieve Peak Performance with Mental Training & Strategic Coaching
A Holistic Approach for Both Coaches and Players
Performing at the highest levels of your gift—whether as a player or a coach—is one of the most affirming and surreal experiences of a lifetime. If you’ve made it to the NBA or NBA G League or are coaching at an elite level, you’ve already proven your skill and dedication to excellence. Your talent and strategy are the foundation of your success, and thriving in high-stakes environments demands more than physical prowess or playbooks—emotional resilience and mental clarity are imperative.
My work is rooted in helping people navigate their challenges and pursue their dreams with confidence, focus, and clarity. My extensive experience of working with clients from diverse backgrounds, coupled with my own experiences, has shown me the importance of managing stress, sustaining motivation, and balancing success with well-being.
My approach combines mindfulness, somatic awareness, and family systems therapy with the strategic elegance of basketball’s spiritual nature to create a dynamic framework for personal and relational success. This synthesis reflects the balance, adaptability, and intentionality required both on the court and in life.
Mindfulness & Somatics
Managing Energy and Power
Drawing inspiration from Zen practices and somatic techniques, I teach coaches and players how to regulate and wield their energy, stay present, and navigate stress with agility and focus.
- Presence on the Court and in Life: Mindfulness helps clients stay attuned to the flow of the moment—whether responding to a defender or making a critical life decision.
- Embodied Power: By incorporating somatic tools like grounding and breathwork, I guide clients to align their mental clarity with physical strength, ensuring their energy flows purposefully in high-pressure situations.
- Sustaining Momentum: Somatic awareness reinforces the ability to recover quickly after setbacks, maintaining rhythm and composure in the face of challenges.
The Triangle
Flow, Connection, and Adaptability
In basketball, the triangle offense exemplifies a philosophy of balanced relationships, fluid collaboration, and strategic positioning. These principles mirror essential components of family systems therapy and personal growth:
- Flow and Connection: The triangle emphasizes seamless movement and mutual support, much like healthy relationships. Together we cultivate balance within interactions—whether on a team, within a family, or in individual pursuits.
- Adapting to Challenges: The triangle’s flexibility in responding to defenses mirrors the ability to adapt in life. I guide clients to recognize patterns, adjust strategies, and find openings for success in dynamic situations.
- Relational Dynamics and the Team: Just as each player’s role in the triangle offense is vital to its success, understanding personal and relational roles in systems is key to building harmony and resilience.
Family Systems
Strengthening Teamwork and Dynamics
Drawing from family systems therapy, we identify and transform unproductive dynamics that hinder personal and relational growth:
- Team as Family: Whether in sports, business, or personal relationships, the team operates as a family system. Understanding these dynamics fosters trust, collaboration, and a shared sense of purpose.
- Role Clarity: Drawing from Salvador Minuchin’s structural therapy, I guide clients to establish clear roles and boundaries that optimize performance and reduce conflict.
- Strategic Communication: Inspired by Virginia Satir’s emphasis on congruent communication, I teach clients how to express their needs and goals effectively, ensuring alignment within their “team.”
A Unified Framework for Thriving
By integrating mindfulness, somatic practices, and the strategic lessons of basketball’s triangle offense, I offer a framework that empowers clients to:
- Achieve Flow: Stay present, regulate emotions, and maximize energy in high-stakes situations.
- Strengthen Collaboration: Build meaningful connections by understanding relational dynamics and fostering mutual support.
- Adapt with Confidence: Navigate setbacks and challenges with agility, finding opportunities for growth and success.
This approach bridges the wisdom of therapeutic traditions with the strategic artistry of basketball, helping clients thrive both on and off the court.
Apperception:
The mind’s perception of itself as the subject or actor in its own states, unifying past and present experiences; self-consciousness, perception that reflects upon itself.
Guiding the Minds Behind the Game
The Therapeutic Assist
As a licensed marriage and family therapist with thriving practices in San Francisco and Santa Cruz, I bring both professional expertise and personal passion to my work. My commitment to confidentiality ensures a safe, trusted space for growth, while my love for basketball adds a unique layer of connection to the game.
Attending most Golden State Warrior’s home games, I’ve found a profound synergy between my professional expertise and the dynamic world of basketball. Leadership, overcoming hardship, tackling imposter syndrome, celebrating Black culture and diversity, understanding athleticism, navigating family systems, addressing cultural challenges of relocation, and integrating mindfulness and spirituality—all the passions and skills I’ve cultivated throughout my career come together in this space. It’s not just about helping players and coaches thrive on the court but supporting their growth as whole individuals.
My approach is grounded in authenticity, empathy, mindfulness, and a deep appreciation for the game and the people who dedicate their lives to it. My work is more than a career; it’s a lifelong passion informed by overcoming my own hardships. I’ve dedicated my life to helping individuals navigate their challenges and realize their potential.
Coaching Fees
$425
Individual Mental
Performance Consulting
Per 60 Minute Session
$725
Team Systems
Performance Consulting
Per 90 Minute Session
Discover What Others Love About Anahata
“While I have always been confident in my abilities, my work with Anahata has allowed me to envision success in ways I could never have imagined. The direct result of her coaching was that I was able to win more court cases,and in fact, I have not lost a case since utilizing the skills imparted to me!”
“There are times in life when you are lucky enough to encounter individuals with true superpowers. Anahata Neuman is one of those people, and I do not say this lightly. She has the power to change perceptions,which shifts behaviors and increases performance as a result. Her technique is subtle yet infectiously powerful. Concepts that escape even the most trained and seasoned coaches and therapists lie at her fingertips, which she deftly weaves into her sessions. I did not even realize it was happening, and then the epiphany occurred. It almost seemed like magic.”
“I was holding resentments, I was angry and distracted, and I could not perform my work in the highly functional manner to which I knew I was capable. Anahta untangled my issues, and along the way systematically taught me techniques for success. At one point, I even referred to her as a “genius savant” for her otherworldly ability to make connections in my brain that would never have existed but for her work”
“To say she is gifted is a drastic understatement. The mind is a very powerful tool, and when put in the trusted hands of such a professional as Anahata, the positive results and major successes that follow are limitless. I consider myself very blessed to have been so positively affected by this one individual, who has changed my life in ways I could never have imagined possible.”
