The COPE Center supports a wide range of individuals and professionals to elevate the psychological processes associated with injury-illness, rehabilitation-recovery, and overall performance/life satisfaction. Our services are designed to meet your respective needs whether you are an injured-ill client or a practitioner working with an injured-ill population!

Injured-Ill Clients

Being injured and/or experiencing a chronic illness can turn life upside down. Diagnoses and recovery often brings a whirlwind of physical, emotional, and psychological challenges that can feel isolating or overwhelming. You might face uncertainty, frustration, or even identity shifts (dare we say crises!) as you adjust to temporary or permanent changes in function or performance. Without guidance attuned to the psychological nuances of injury and rehabilitation, it can be hard to find coping strategies that truly support your mental well-being and resilience. The COPE Center provides resources, tools, and evidence-informed strategies designed specifically for injured clients, helping you understand the mental side of recovery, regain a sense of agency, and cultivate adaptive coping skills. By validating your experience and equipping you with practical support, The COPE Center empowers you to navigate your recovery with greater confidence, self-compassion, and hope for a successful return to daily life or performance. Injury affects more than the body; it disrupts routines, identity, confidence, and connection to one’s sport or craft. We support clients through:

  • The emotional and mental challenges of injury

  • The demands of long-term rehabilitation

  • Fear of re-injury or loss of ability

  • The transition back to performance

  • Motivation, confidence, and mindset setbacks

Our approach helps clients build the mental strength and clarity needed to recover fully and return stronger. To learn how to cultivate mental strength and growth during this challenging time, explore the “Injured Clients” dropdown menu above.

Practitioners

The common misconception is assessments and interventions used with non-injured clients can simply be transferred, with little or no adaptation, to injured-ill populations. This assumption overlooks the complex psychological, emotional, and social challenges of clients navigating their respective injury and/or their chronic illness space. Without grounding in appropriate models and interventions, even well-intentioned practitioners risk providing psychological programming that fails to meet client needs. This gap not only undermines care but also fosters inadvertent exclusion. Injured clients may feel unseen, unsupported, or marginalized when their unique experiences go unaddressed. Thus, The COPE Center partners with practitioners who want to weave psychological principles into their care, including:

  • Athletic trainers

  • Educators and performance staff

  • Mental health clinicians

  • Nurses and other medical professionals

  • Orthopedic and sports medicine providers

  • Physical therapists

  • Registered dietitians

  • Strength and conditioning coaches

We provide training, consultation, and collaborative support that improves case conceptualization, enhances communication, and strengthens client outcomes while also helping professionals determine when referral is appropriate. To explore how you can better support your injured clients, navigate the “Practitioners” dropdown menu above.