Dr. Sarah Chen's Sports Psychology Practice in Baltimore: Performance Training for Athletes and Active Adults
Dr. Sarah Chen runs a solo sports psychology practice in Canton focused on cognitive performance and injury recovery for competitive athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and older adults returning to activity after surgery or illness. She works primarily by referral and direct appointment, operates year-round, and does not bill insurance directly, though she provides documentation that clients can submit to out-of-network coverage.
What Dr. Chen's practice actually is
Sports psychology differs from general therapy: it targets confidence, focus, resilience under pressure, and the mental side of physical recovery rather than diagnosing or treating psychiatric conditions. Dr. Chen holds a PhD in sport and exercise psychology from an APA-accredited program and holds Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) certification through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Her practice serves figure skaters, distance runners, CrossFit competitors, and recreational athletes preparing for events, people rehabbing from torn ligaments or surgery who report anxiety about returning to motion, and adults over 55 continuing weight training or cycling after cardiac events.
The practice occupies a single office in a professional building near the corner of Canton and Fawn. Sessions are 50 minutes. Clients typically attend weekly for 8 to 12 weeks during an acute phase (before competition or early recovery), then shift to monthly maintenance or stop.
Services and fees
A 50-minute session costs $150. An initial intake session (90 minutes) is $200 and covers goal-setting, background history, and a performance or recovery assessment. Dr. Chen offers a six-session package at $840, reducing the per-session rate to $140 when purchased upfront. Clients pay at the time of each appointment by card or check; she does not invoice.
Common work includes pre-competition mental routines (visualization, breathing, self-talk), managing performance anxiety and perfectionism, regaining confidence after injury, addressing returning-athlete fear when soft-tissue damage has healed but psychological hesitancy remains, and sleep optimization around training or events.
How Dr. Chen compares to other Baltimore sports psychologists
Baltimore has approximately five to seven sports psychology practitioners with CMPC credential or equivalent training. Most work part-time alongside university athletic department positions, research roles, or general mental health practices. The University of Maryland School of Psychiatry maintains a sports psychiatry clinic at the Baltimore VA Medical Center on campus, but that clinic prioritizes veterans and does not accept self-pay clients. Mercy Medical Center's employee assistance program (EAP) sometimes covers sports psychology sessions at 60% to 80%, but requires referral through your employer. Dr. Chen's solo practice suits people without EAP coverage, those who want continuity with a single provider, and clients needing flexible scheduling or longer sessions than EAP plans typically fund.
Who the practice suits and who it does not
Dr. Chen works best with motivated individuals committed to self-reflection and practice between sessions. Clients benefit most from concrete peak-performance or injury-recovery goals rather than general life stress management. She does not provide psychiatric prescriptions, diagnose mental illness, or offer trauma therapy. Clients with significant depression, anxiety disorder, PTSD, or active suicidal ideation need a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist; Dr. Chen will refer those cases.
She sees ages 14 and up. Younger athletes (middle school and high school) benefit most when parents understand the process and do not attend sessions or pressure the athlete mid-treatment. Adults find her approach effective at any age; she has worked with a 67-year-old swimmer returning to competition after hip surgery and a 42-year-old ultramarathon runner addressing perfectionism.
What the first visit involves
Book an initial 90-minute intake by email or phone. Bring insurance information if you plan to seek reimbursement; Dr. Chen will provide a receipt with the CPT code (90834 for standard therapy or 90836 for extended sessions) and her tax ID. She will also provide a superbill (a detailed invoice) if your insurer requires one.
The first session covers your athletic or physical history, current goals, what success looks like (e.g., qualifying for a regional competition, returning to pain-free deadlifts), past performance or recovery setbacks, and existing mental skills like pre-game routines. She will administer the Atlanta Psychological Instrument to Measure Athletic Stress, a validated questionnaire specific to sport psychology, and discuss findings with you. Plan to leave with one or two concrete practices to start (a breathing routine, a visualization script) before your second appointment.
Hours, location, and logistics
Dr. Chen sees clients Tuesday through Thursday, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday mornings by appointment. The office building has street parking on Fawn Street and a shared lot accessed from Collington Avenue. There are six unreserved spaces in the lot, often full by midweek; arrive 15 minutes early or plan to use street parking. The practice is closed Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays; there is no walk-in option.
Email is the most reliable way to book. Response time is typically 24 to 48 hours. She does take phone calls during business hours but may not answer immediately if in session.
Dr. Chen fills a narrow but essential gap in Baltimore's sports mental health landscape: structured, goal-focused psychology for active people who do not need psychiatric treatment but benefit from coaching on focus, fear, and the psychological realities of injury recovery. Her solo model, transparent pricing, and direct client relationship make her accessible outside insurance bureaucracy.
