Michigan State Student-Athlete Wellness
PURPOSE
To provide Spartan Student-Athletes with Mental Health and Sport Performance support to promote optimal wellness and performance on and off their field of play.
MISSION
We are committed to providing comprehensive and science-based psychological interventions across all varsity sports for Spartan student-athletes. We embrace the diverse culture of Spartan student-athletes and respect highly the identities, values, and beliefs of the student-athlete community. We strive to assist the student-athletes with competing up to their potential academically, athletically, and in life.
Strength Perseverance Adaptable Resilient Tenacious Accountable Noble
Mental Health Statistics Reported for College Student-Athletes
• The NCAA reports that mental exhaustion, anxiety, and depression amongst college student-athletes have remained two times higher than pre-pandemic rates (NCAA, 2020)
• Studies show that only about 10% of student-athletes with a mental health condition seek help (John Hopkins, 2022)
• 38% of female student-athletes and 22% of male student-athletes report feeling mentally exhausted constantly or mostly every day (NCAA, 2020)
• The factors that commonly impact the mental health of student-athletes include academic experience, playing time, identity issues, race and gender equity, and their relationship with coaches and teammates (NCAA, 2020)
• Research indicates that depression in collegiate student-athletes range from 15% to 33% with first year and female student-athletes reporting more symptoms (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2023)
• It is reported that depression risk ranges from 12% to 35% for student-athletes in football, baseball, wrestling, track & field, and lacrosse (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2023)
PROVIDERS
Shayna A. Bruno MA, NCC, LPC
Director of Student-Athlete Wellness
Shayna is the Director of Student Athlete Wellness at Michigan State University. Shayna completed her undergraduate studies at University of Indianapolis in 2010, and her graduate studies in clinical mental health counseling at Valparaiso University in 2014.
Shayna is a fully licensed mental health clinician in the state of Michigan, as well as a nationally certified counselor. Shayna is member of Chi Sigma Iota and American Counseling Association from 2013 – present. Shayna published and co-authored Autism in Early Childhood: Assessment and Diagnosis.
As a former NCAA student athlete with over 10 years of clinically diverse experience, Shayna is extremely passionate about the inclusion of mental health in athletics, as well as creating a safe space for all student athletes. She looks forward to connecting with you!
Doron Willis, MS, LMFT, PES
Associate Director of Student-Athlete Wellness
Doron is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for the states of California and Michigan working as an Associate Director of Student-Athlete Wellness. In this role, he will provide mental health support to varsity athletes and teams on campus. Doron has years of experience helping individuals with mental health and performance issues. Having played Division-I football at Bethune-Cookman College as a scholarship athlete and as a walk-on at the University of South Carolina, his goal as a licensed clinician is to help student-athletes establish a healthy sense of self spiritually, emotionally, and mentally that will enable them to thrive in both sport and life. He also worked as a fitness trainer for over 15 years, which has provided him with a deep understanding of the mind body connection.
Doron earned his Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in marriage and family therapy from Phillips Graduate University located in Chatsworth, CA. Additionally, he is a Certified Anger Management Specialist-II, holds a certificate in Sport and Fitness Psychology from California State University Dominguez Hills, is trained in EMDR therapy, is a certified Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement Instructor, and is in the process of becoming a Certified Mental Performance Consultant through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.
Doron is the author of two books titled, “The IT Factors for Athletic Dominance: Identifying the traits of elite athletes”, and “The Self-Possessed Athlete: The guide to playing with more emotional control, focus, and flow”. He is also a contributing author to the book, “Peak Performance: Mindset tools for athletes”.
Drake Deitch, Psy.D., CMPC
Associate Director of Student-Athlete Wellness
Drake is an MSU alum earning a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Drake earned his Psy.D. from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology and his Master’s degree in Counseling with a specialization in Sport and Health Psychology from Adler University.
A Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC), Drake has worked extensively with professional, collegiate, and amateur athletes, both individually and in team settings. He takes a practical approach to mental health, believing that performance and well-being are interconnected through a strong mind–body connection. Drake emphasizes building resilience through failure, gaining confidence through overcoming challenges, and uses a laid-back, approachable style to help destigmatize mental health in athletics.
Drake enjoys staying active in a variety of sports, with golf as his go-to for blending competition and relaxation. He loves to travel, especially to see sporting events live. His favorites have been the FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the Ryder Cup in Italy. He rarely misses the chance to have a game playing in the background. Drake also values time with family and friends, including with his dachshund Lucille.
Audrey Jackson, LMSW
Associate Director of Student-Athlete Wellness
Shayna is a fully licensed mental health clinician in the state of Michigan, as well as a nationally certified counselor. Shayna is member of Chi Sigma Iota and American Counseling Association from 2013 – present. Shayna published and co-authored Autism in Early Childhood: Assessment and Diagnosis.
As a former NCAA student athlete with over 10 years of clinically diverse experience, Shayna is extremely passionate about the inclusion of mental health in athletics, as well as creating a safe space for all student athletes. She looks forward to connecting with you!
Doron Willis, MS, LMFT, PES
Associate Director of Student-Athlete Wellness
Doron is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for the states of California and Michigan working as an Associate Director of Student-Athlete Wellness. In this role, he will provide mental health support to varsity athletes and teams on campus. Doron has years of experience helping individuals with mental health and performance issues. Having played Division-I football at Bethune-Cookman College as a scholarship athlete and as a walk-on at the University of South Carolina, his goal as a licensed clinician is to help student-athletes establish a healthy sense of self spiritually, emotionally, and mentally that will enable them to thrive in both sport and life. He also worked as a fitness trainer for over 15 years, which has provided him with a deep understanding of the mind body connection.
Doron earned his Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in marriage and family therapy from Phillips Graduate University located in Chatsworth, CA. Additionally, he is a Certified Anger Management Specialist-II, holds a certificate in Sport and Fitness Psychology from California State University Dominguez Hills, is trained in EMDR therapy, is a certified Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement Instructor, and is in the process of becoming a Certified Mental Performance Consultant through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.
Doron is the author of two books titled, “The IT Factors for Athletic Dominance: Identifying the traits of elite athletes”, and “The Self-Possessed Athlete: The guide to playing with more emotional control, focus, and flow”. He is also a contributing author to the book, “Peak Performance: Mindset tools for athletes”.
Associate Director of Student-Athlete Wellness
Drake is an MSU alum earning a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Drake earned his Psy.D. from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology and his Master’s degree in Counseling with a specialization in Sport and Health Psychology from Adler University.
A Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC), Drake has worked extensively with professional, collegiate, and amateur athletes, both individually and in team settings. He takes a practical approach to mental health, believing that performance and well-being are interconnected through a strong mind–body connection. Drake emphasizes building resilience through failure, gaining confidence through overcoming challenges, and uses a laid-back, approachable style to help destigmatize mental health in athletics.
Drake enjoys staying active in a variety of sports, with golf as his go-to for blending competition and relaxation. He loves to travel, especially to see sporting events live. His favorites have been the FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the Ryder Cup in Italy. He rarely misses the chance to have a game playing in the background. Drake also values time with family and friends, including with his dachshund Lucille.
Associate Director of Student-Athlete Wellness
Audrey is a licensed clinical social worker with more than a decade of experience in the mental health field. She earned a Bachelor of Social Work from Michigan State University in 2013 and a Master of Social Work, specializing in mental health and substance use recovery services, from Eastern Michigan University in 2016.
Audrey's background includes providing therapy and case management services to adults in community-based settings, followed by supporting multiple Michigan Medicine research projects related to opioids, cannabis, and chronic pain. She is trained in several different treatment modalities including Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Pain Reprocessing Therapy.
Audrey is passionate about promoting wellness, addressing mental health concerns early, and helping athletes balance the demands of sport, academics, and personal life.
Pam Ruth
Student-Athlete Wellness Coordinator
Pam is the coordinator for Student-Athlete Wellness handling the business operations for the unit and assisting with Student-Athlete access to services. Prior to joining the Student-Athlete Wellness team, Pam worked in MSU Athletics Business Office.
Pam holds a degree in Accounting and has worked as a C.P.A. for a major accounting firm and health system. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, travel and fitness activities.
We utilize a holistic and trauma informed approach that cultivates a healthy sense of self by focusing on emotional and mental resilience, confidence, self-acceptance, identity, stress management, self-awareness, etc. The issues within mental health and performance that we help Spartan student-athletes address just to name a few are the following:
• Depression
• Anxiety (including performance anxiety)
• Grief and Loss
• Trauma
• Motivation
• Focus and Concentration
• Visualization
• Substance Abuse
• Self-esteem
• Effective Communication
• Relationship issues with family, friends, coaches, and teammates
• Identity development
• Time Management
• Daily routines and habits
• Stress Management
• Injury and Transition out of sport
• Disordered Eating
We also offer team workshops and student-athlete processing groups on topics of emotional management, team cohesion, resiliency, mindfulness, performance anxiety, goal setting, etc.
RESOURCES
Emergency Resources
If you or anyone you know are experiencing an immediate life-threatening experience, please utilize the following services in the event providers are unavailable.
• 911- all emergencies
• 988-Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
• Text either “Home”, “START”, or “HELLO” to 741741-Crisis Text Line
• (800) 799-7233-National Domestic Violence Hotline
• (800) 656-4673-National Sexual Assault Hotline
FAQs
Q. How do I know if I need support service for mental health or sport performance?
A. If you are experiencing intense emotional issues along with self-deprecating and self-harming thoughts causing you to experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, ADHD, or any other mental health related disorder, then mental health support is strongly encouraged. With mental health support, you will gain insights into how past events, relationships, and beliefs are impacting your current emotional and mental well-being. You will also develop effective coping skills to help eliminate or alleviate the frequency, duration, and intensity of your symptoms. On the other hand, if you are having difficulty achieving optimal performance in your respective sport, then sport performance support is recommended. With sport performance support you will acquire tools to decrease performance anxiety, improve focus and concentration, increase motivation, improve communication skills, increase confidence, and establish obtainable short- and long-term goals.
Q. What happens in a session?
A. When you meet with one of the providers, the priority is to establish a safe, trusting, and respectable rapport by engaging in a dialogue that gives you the opportunity to also ask the provider about their treatment style and reasons for wanting to help student-athletes. The focus will then be on your presenting issue and treatment goals. A session can last anywhere between 15-60 minutes.
Q. How often will I have to meet with my provider?
A. Depending on your presenting issue and treatment goals, you may meet with your provider either once a week, biweekly, or as needed.
Q. How do I know that what I say will not be repeated to my coaches, athletic trainers, and family?
A. As licensed clinicians, we understand that in order to establish a safe and trusting environment, confidentiality is key. Although there are exceptions in which we may have to break confidentiality, the only other times we would do so is with your written permission or with you present. As licensed clinicians, our goal is to not only help you develop an overall sense of well-being, but to also keep you physically safe as best as possible. So, the exceptions in which we may have to break confidentiality include:
• When you report that you have a plan to harm yourself in any way
• When you share that someone is currently or planning to harm you
• When you state that you have plans to harm someone else
• If we are subpoenaed by the courts to speak about your mental health