How Sports Psychiatry Helps Athletes Thrive with Dr. Wilsa Charles Malveaux

Every athlete carries within them a remarkable blend of talent, determination, and potential that extends far beyond the track, the field, or the court. Yet the pressures of competition, injuries, and expectations often make it difficult to nurture not just their skills, but their mental and emotional well-being.

An athlete’s journey is rarely straight. Injuries, setbacks, or unexpected changes can challenge identity and motivation, but they also offer opportunities to build resilience and self-awareness. Sports psychiatry helps athletes navigate these moments, breaking mental barriers, managing stress, and reclaiming focus while bridging the gap between physical recovery and emotional wellness.

This work goes beyond treating mental illness. It’s about fostering mental wellness. When athletes, coaches, and parents normalize seeking support, they create environments where performance and care coexist. Success isn’t just winning. It’s thriving through challenges, honoring mental and emotional needs, and sustaining passion in every season.

Dr. Wilsa Charles Malveaux is a former multi-sport athlete who turned her passion for competition and wellness into a career as a sports psychiatrist. As the CEO and founder of WCM Sports Psych, she works with athletes to strengthen not just their bodies, but their minds. With firsthand experience of the pressures athletes face, she’s dedicated to helping them manage stress, prevent burnout, and care for their mental health just as much as their physical performance.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Wilsa Charles Malveaux to talk about the pressures athletes face, the risks of focusing on just one sport, and how to recognize when someone may be struggling. Dr. Malveaux shares her story of going from competing at the highest levels to helping athletes care for their mental health. She also explains what sports psychiatry is, how it works with psychology, and why mental health support is just as important as physical training.

"It's not a matter of being crazy or not crazy. It's just about taking care of your health." – Dr. Wilsa Charles Malveaux 

Topics Covered:

(00:00:30) Introducing our guest, Dr. Wilsa Charles Malveaux

(00:02:46) Dr. Wilsa’s path as an athlete

(00:08:16) What sports psychiatry really is?

(00:11:43) Building WCM sports psych

(00:13:06) Social media can inform or mislead

(00:16:01) Reframing mental health care as strength

(00:18:38) Removing barriers to sports participation

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(00:22:52) Importance of mental health first aid

(00:24:01) Is everything OK?

(00:27:05) Recovery after injury & mental health needs

(00:30:37) Processing emotions and grief

(00:32:04) Pre-existing mental health conditions

(00:33:46) How do you care for yourself while caring for others?

(00:37:15) Final TimeOut with Dr. Wilsa Charles Malveaux: Are high achievers more alike than we think?

(00:39:37) Separating identity from performance

(00:41:02) Connect with Dr. Wilsa Charles Malveaux 

Key Takeaways:  

"Taking a mental health first aid class is a huge benefit, not just for yourself, but for everybody that you come into contact with." – Dr. Wilsa Charles Malveaux 

"The more that that patient felt empowered to try to do something different, the parents got less comfortable with her actually getting support with her mental health." – Dr. Wilsa Charles Malveaux 

"The brain-body connection is able to use our knowledge of medicine to rule out other things that people might think is an actual primary psychiatric disorder." – Dr. Wilsa Charles Malveaux 

"When we pathologize the idea of taking care of your mental health as opposed to taking care of your physical health, it stigmatizes it." – Dr. Wilsa Charles Malveaux 

Connect with Dr. Wilsa Charles Malveaux: 

Website: https://wcmsportspsych.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCMSportsPsych

X: https://x.com/DrWilsa?t=auWwLfUKzZ3xxty8Fe3DBQ&s=09

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wcmsportspsych

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-wcm-sports-psych/

Connect with Dr. Derrick Burgess:

Website: https://www.drderrickthesportsdr.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drderrickthesportsdr/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimeOut.SportsDr

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derrick-burgess-72047b246/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.derrickburgess243

Email: thesportsdoctr@gmail.com

This episode of TimeOut with the SportsDr. is produced by Podcast VAs Philippines - the team that helps podcasters effectively launch and manage their podcasts, so we don't have to. Record, share, and repeat! Podcast VAs PH gives me back my time, so I can focus on the core functions of my business. Need expert help with your podcast? Go to www.podcastvasph.com.