Staci Mannella

she/her

pre-licensed therapist & mental performance coach

Smiling person with long dark hair wearing a floral blouse, standing in front of a multicolored gradient background.

Currently on "tiny time,” which is less than part-time! I'm finishing up my PhD and only providing performance coaching for female athletes with disabilities. Please consider our other providers, who are also amazing!

Here's what I know about being an athlete with a disability.

The world wasn't built for you.

Sport spaces assume you can see, hear, move, process, or perform in ways that don't match your reality. Accommodations feel like favors instead of rights. And even when you make it to the starting line, people question whether you belong there.

I know this because I've lived it.

I'm a visually impaired alpine skier who competed at the 2014 Sochi and 2018 PyeongChang Paralympic Games. I stood on that start line knowing the world was watching—and wondering if I was good enough. I've navigated the mental load of high-level competition while also navigating a world that wasn't designed for me.

And here's the thing nobody talks about: success isn't just about physical training. It's about recognizing, managing, and learning from the mental and emotional weight you carry. The stressors. The expectations. The stories you tell yourself about who you are and what you're capable of.

That's the work we'll do together.

Performance stats won't be the only measure of success here.

You are not your results.

You're a person with multiple identities, roles, perspectives, and experiences. You're an athlete, yes—but you're also so much more than that.

In our work together, I want to see and know all those layers. Not just who you are in competition, but who you are when no one's watching. Who you are when you're struggling. Who you are when you're figuring out what comes next.

We'll talk about the stories you tell yourself—where they come from, which ones are true, and which ones need to be rewritten.

Because that's where real growth happens.

What working with me actually looks like.

I'll bring humor, curiosity, and compassion. I'll challenge you when you're ready for it. Some days that means reminding you of your greatness when you can't see it yourself. Other days it means digging into the hard stuff you didn't even realize you were avoiding.

Either way, I'm in it with you.

Here's what we'll focus on:

  • Exploring how your identities show up in sport and life: Your disability. Your gender. Your sexuality. Your race. Your age. These aren't separate from your athletic experience—they shape it. We'll talk about how those identities influence the way you train, compete, and move through the world.

  • Recognizing relational patterns: The way you relate to coaches, teammates, guides, and support staff matters. We'll explore those dynamics—what's working, what's not, and how those patterns show up off the field too.

  • Developing tools to respond instead of react: You'll learn to meet challenges with openness and perspective instead of shutting down or spiraling. This isn't about suppressing emotions—it's about building capacity to sit with them.

  • Tackling perfectionism, mental blocks, and identity beyond results: You don't have to be perfect to be worthy. You don't have to achieve to matter. We'll work on that—together.

My approach: flexible, collaborative, and grounded in who you are.

I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Feminist Therapy, and Emotion Focused Therapy. Translation: we're going to explore the different parts of you, honor your emotions, and build psychological flexibility.

My approach is tailored to you—where you are right now, what you need, and what feels right. Some days we'll go deep. Other days we'll keep it lighter. Both are okay.

As a pre-licensed intern supervised by Dr. Ayala, I offer services at a reduced rate while maintaining the same high-quality, evidence-based support.

  • Education

    • PhD in Counseling Psychology, Ball State University (expected 2027)

    • MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Ball State University (2023)

    • MS in Kinesiology and Exercise Science, The University of British Columbia (2021)

    • BA in Anthropology, Dartmouth College (2019)

    Licensure & Credentials

    • Pre-licensed clinician under the supervision of Dr. Ayala

    • Mental performance consultant under the supervision of Dr. Ayala (certification in progress)

  • Right now, I'm only working with:

    • Female athletes on the Sisters in Sports Foundation roster

    • Long-term clients who started with me in 2025

    More broadly, I specialize in:

    • LGBTQ+ athletes

    • BIPOC athletes

    • Athletes with disabilities

    • Adult athletes navigating identity, retirement, or life transitions

    What I know well:

    • Anxiety and performance anxiety

    • Athletic retirement (when you don't know who you are without sport)

    • Body image concerns (especially in a world that constantly judges disabled bodies)

    • Depression, grief, and loss

    • Relationship conflicts (with coaches, teammates, guides, family)

    • Trauma and injury recovery

  • Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, equestrian, running, swimming, cycling, gymnastics, tennis

    If your sport isn't listed, don't worry—I’ve worked with many others, including corn hole, MMA fighting, and Historical European Martial Arts! The mental skills and identity work we do apply across all sports, and I learn quickly.

    • Acceptance & Commitment Therapy

    • Internal Family Systems

    • Feminist Therapy

    • Emotion Focused Therapy

    • Performance Coaching

    • 2014 Sochi Paralympic Games, Alpine Skiing

    • 2017 World Championships (bronze medal), Alpine Skiing

    • 2018 PyeongChang Paralympic Games, Alpine Skiing

    • 2014-2019: Dartmouth Equestrian Team

  • Performance Coaching:

    • $175 per 53-60 min session

    • available for athletes and coaches in all states and provinces

    Mental Health Therapy:

    • $175 per 53-60 minute session

    • Available for athletes and coaches in Minnesota

    • If you’d like, we’ll communicate with your insurance to determine whether you’re eligible for Out-Of-Network insurance benefits. If eligible, we’ll take care of the claims for you. You’ll pay up front, and then you’ll (eventually) receive a check in the mail from your insurance!

  • Journal Articles

    1. Mannella S., Bundon, A. (2023). Building Bridges: An Exploration of the Athlete – Guide Partnership in High- Performance Parasport. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise, and Health. 

    2. Mannella, S., Labbe, D., Bundon, A., Sauve, J., Mcbride, C., Yung, O. Best, K., & Miller, W. (2023) Access at Elevation: Program Strategies to Support Quality Participation for People with Disabilities. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 43, 100685.

    3. Trainor, L.R., Bennett, E.V., Bundon, A.M., Tremblay, M., Mannella, S., & Crocker, P.R.E. (2023). Inescapable tensions: Performance and/or psychological well-being in Olympic and Paralympic athletes during sport disruption. Submitted to Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise, and Health, March 9, 2022. 

    4. Bundon, A., Trainor, L. R., Bennett, E. V., Tremblay, M. I., Mannella, S., & Crocker, P.R.E. (2022). From minding the gap to widening the gap: Paralympic athletes' experiences of wellbeing during the postponement of the tokyo 2020 games. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 4, January 2022.

    5. Bennett, E.V., Trainor, L.R., Bundon, A.M., Tremblay, M., Mannella, S., & Crocker, P.R.E. (2022). From “blessing in disguise” to “what do I do now?”: How Canadian Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls perceived, experienced, and coped with the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Games. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 62. 

    6. Armstrong, E., Lieberman, L., Martin, J., Moore, W., Snapp, E., Mannella, S. (2022). The Physical Activity Barriers Questionnaire for Youth with Visual Impairment (PABQ-VI) – A user guide. Accepted in Palaestra, January 7, 2022. 

    7. Martin, J. J., Snapp, E. E., G. Moore, E. W., Lieberman, L. J., Armstrong, E., & Mannella, S. (2021). Factor structure of the barriers to physical activity scale for youth with visual impairments. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 38(4), 585-604.

    Book Chapters 

    1. Mannella, S. (2025).The lies we tell: exploring the intersections of gender and Parasport. In Reimagining the Gendering of Sport. Edward Elgar Publishing 

    2. Bundon, A., Mannella, S. (2022). Seeing Without Sight: Exploring the Experiences of Visually Impaired Skiers and their Guides In Researching Disability Sport. London: Routledge Publishers.

    3. Mannella, S., Clark, B., & Sachs, M. (2022). Sport Psychology for Athletes with Disabilities. In Routledge Handbook of Applied Sport Psychology. London: Routledge Publishers.

  • I own more than one flannel for each season despite not originating from Minnesota. It's a problem. But also, it's not!

Meet Staci!

I'm currently pursuing my PhD and completing my internship, which means I'm on "tiny time"—part-time hours with very limited availability. That said, our other providers are phenomenal. Book a consult with one of them below!