practice founder
Blakely Low-Sampson, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist | Sport Psychology & Therapy
"Performance and mental health aren’t separate conversations. The most meaningful work happens when we stop treating them like they are."
In-person in San Antonio · Virtual across Texas & PSYPACT States
who i work with
I work with athletes, coaches, and high-performing adults who want more than surface-level support. My clients are typically driven, self-aware, and already capable — and they come to me because something important isn’t working the way they want it to, or because they’re ready to go deeper than they’ve been able to go before.
What I’ve found over more than a decade of this work is that the most impactful and lasting change happens when we hold the whole person — not just the athlete, or the executive, or the coach. Performance and personal well-being are deeply intertwined, and the work becomes richer and more meaningful when we’re willing to look at both.
One of the things I’m most proud of is how often clients return. A college athlete who worked with me in their sophomore year might reconnect as a professional. A client who made meaningful progress on one challenge comes back when a new one emerges. That continuity tells me something about the quality of the relationship — and it’s what I aim for with every client I work with.
I’m a strong fit for:
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College athletes navigating the pressures of competition, academics, and identity development
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Professional and elite athletes seeking clinically grounded support that goes beyond mental skills training
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Coaches at every level — collegiate, professional, and beyond — who deserve a space that is fully their own
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High-performing adults and executives who want psychologically sophisticated support that most coaching can’t offer
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Clients who want both mental health and performance support and don’t want to choose between them
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Athletes and performers who have worked with a sport psychologist before and are ready for a deeper experience
my approach
I’ve always believed that the therapeutic relationship is foundational to effective work — not as a warm backdrop to the real interventions, but as the mechanism through which real change becomes possible. Clients have to feel genuinely seen and heard before they can do the hard things. One of the things I hear most from the people I work with is that they feel truly known in this work — not assessed, not analyzed, not handed a protocol. That quality of relationship is what I believe makes change sustainable rather than temporary.
My approach is direct, collaborative, and holistic. I pay close attention to both what clients bring into the room and what’s left unspoken, because often the most important material lives in the gap between the two. A lot of the work involves helping clients connect dots between things they may not see as related: a pattern in competition that echoes something in a relationship, a performance plateau that turns out to have nothing to do with skill. Once we can name a pattern or uncover an insight, new options open up. That’s when things start to shift.
I believe you don’t have to have a problem in order to benefit from this work. If there’s something that could work better — in how you compete, how you lead, how you relate to yourself under pressure — that’s a good enough reason to show up.
I draw on evidence-based frameworks including ACT and mindfulness-based approaches, as well as specialized sport psychology skills to support the performer and the person. I also have training in biofeedback and yoga, which inform how I think about the mind-body connection in performance. I don’t follow a script. I respond directly to the unique person in front of me.
For coaches, the work often centers on what the role asks of them psychologically — the identity questions that come with wins and losses, the weight of leading a staff and a program, the pressure to project certainty in an inherently uncertain environment. Coaching is one of the loneliest professions in sport, and I find it meaningful to offer a space where coaches can be fully honest about what they’re carrying.
For executives and working professionals, the work is often fast-moving and highly engaging. I help clients develop sharper self-awareness by paying close attention to both what they’re saying and what’s unspoken. In doing so, I am able to offer a perspective that others may be unwilling or unable to give. That kind of honest, psychologically sophisticated partnership is what distinguishes this work from standard coaching.
specialties & focus areas
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Sport psychology for collegiate and professional athletes
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Performance anxiety and competition preparation
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Confidence and mental resilience
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Perfectionism and self-criticism
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Burnout and sustainable performance
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Identity — athletic, professional, and personal
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Coach psychology and leadership
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Executive coaching and high-performance adults
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Anxiety and emotional regulation
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Body image, disordered eating, and athlete wellness
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Team and organizational consulting
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High achievers
a little about me
I was fortunate to have a meaningful athletic career here in San Antonio — I played soccer at Alamo Heights and was honored as the Express-News Player of the Year before going on to compete at Davidson College — and that experience as a San Antonio athlete is a big part of why this community feels personal to me. I was honored to have my jersey retired by Alamo Heights in 2010. While competing at Davidson, we earned the program's first berth to the NCAA tournament in 2009. I know what it’s like to compete at a high level, and I know what it’s like to be done competing. Both matter in this work.
Outside the office, you’ll find me with my family, at an Orangetheory class, or trying to keep a few of my houseplants alive. I live in the Alamo Heights community with my husband and my very active kiddo.
fees & availability
Sessions with Dr. Low-Sampson are $200 per session. The practice is private pay and does not bill insurance directly. Superbills are available for therapy services, and clients may be eligible for partial reimbursement through out-of-network benefits — we recommend calling your provider to confirm your specific benefits.
Current availability: Dr. Low-Sampson is currently expecting her second child and is not accepting new clients at this time. If you’d like to be considered for her caseload upon her return, please reach out and we will follow up with you. In the meantime, our team includes Lauren Wall and Meghan Olt (starting September 2026), both of whom are accepting new clients and may be a wonderful fit for your needs.
education & licensure
Ph.D. Counseling Psychology
Texas Tech University, Ph.D.
Doctoral Internship - Penn State
Postdoctoral Fellowship - Lehigh University
USOPC Registry
Vetted provider for Olympic &
Paralympic athletes
Texas License #39382
Licensed Psychologist in Texas
PSYPACT Mobility #10213
Affiliations & Certifications
Dr. Blakely Low-Sampson (formerly Blakely Low-Scott) is a licensed counseling psychologist with more than a decade of specialized experience in sport psychology and clinical practice. She earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Texas Tech University, completed her APA-accredited doctoral internship at Penn State University, and finished a postdoctoral residency specializing in sport psychology at Lehigh University.
Prior to opening her private practice, Dr. Low-Sampson served as Assistant Director of Clinical and Sport Psychology at the University of Arkansas and as Peak Performance Specialist at the University of South Carolina — roles that embedded her within high-performance athletic environments across the Big 12 and SEC. She has held psychology licenses in Texas, Arkansas, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
Dr. Low-Sampson is listed on the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Mental Health and Performance Registry — a selective directory of providers vetted to support Olympic and Paralympic athletes. She is a member of the Clinical/Counseling Sport Psychology Association (CCSPA) and is credentialed to provide telepsychology services through PSYPACT (Mobility #10213). She holds an active Texas psychology license (#39382) and is a certified yoga instructor (RYT-200) with additional training in biofeedback.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Davidson College, where she competed as a Division I soccer player, and her Master of Arts in Psychology from Texas Tech University.
Dr. Low-Sampson founded Dr. Blakely Sport Psychology & Therapy in San Antonio in 2022. The practice has since grown to include a team of clinicians serving athletes, coaches, and high-performing individuals across Texas and the United States. The practice consults with several San Antonio-area universities, including Trinity University, University of the Incarnate Word, St. Mary’s University, and UTSA.