The WVU Athletics Clinical and Sport Psychology team provides mental health counseling and performance enhancement training to individual student-athletes and teams. Additionally, the Clinical and Sport Psychology team offers student-athlete support groups and prevention and wellness education to WVU student-athletes and athletic department personnel including coaches, administration, and sports medicine staff. The Clinical and Sport Psychology team is also available to provide specialized services as needed.
Our mission is to provide WVU student-athletes with holistic mental health care, wellness education, and sport psychology strategies. We want to support thriving academically, athletically, and in life beyond WVU. As a department, we recognize and value the unique experiences and intersectional identities of student-athletes. Our staff is committed to creating a safe and inclusive space to explore, learn, and grow. We seek to empower others to use their voice and be advocates for change in addressing systemic inequalities and injustices that have been prevalent throughout our society. We are also committed to ongoing personal and professional growth as a staff to continuously strive towards providing WVU student-athletes the best care possible.
About Us
Dr. Sofia Espana Perez
Clinical and Sport Behavior Health TherapistDr. Sofia Espana Perez serves as the director of clinical and sport psychology for West Virginia University Athletics.
In this position, she oversees clinical and sport psychology services for Mountaineer student-athletes, supporting their mental health, personal well-being, athletic performance, and overall development. She also provides leadership and supervision to the department's behavioral health staff and contributes to the continued development of comprehensive, evidence-based mental health and sport psychology services across WVU Athletics.
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC). Her clinical experience includes individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, risk assessment and reduction, and psychoeducational programming tailored to the unique needs of collegiate student-athletes. Her therapeutic approach is grounded in Person-Centered Therapy and integrates principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
She is committed to fostering an environment that prioritizes mental health, supports psychological well-being, and promotes the development of student-athletes both within and beyond sport.
Originally from Mexico City, Mexico, she earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from East Tennessee State University, where she competed as a Division I tennis student-athlete. She later completed a master's degree in sport and exercise psychology at Minnesota State University, Mankato, while serving as head coach of the Division II women's tennis team.
In 2017, she joined West Virginia University to pursue a master's degree in counseling and a Ph.D. in sport, exercise, and performance psychology.
During her graduate training, she provided mental health services to the WVU community through the Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services. Following her graduation in 2021, she joined WVU Athletics as a clinical and sport behavioral health therapist, providing clinical mental health and sport psychology services to student-athletes.
Throughout her tenure at WVU, she has remained dedicated to advancing mental health awareness, strengthening access to psychological support, and helping Mountaineer student-athletes thrive personally, academically, and athletically.
She currently resides in Morgantown and in her free time she enjoys traveling, hiking and doing triathlons.
Dr. Diane Benish
Clinical and Sport Behavior Health TherapistDr. Diane Benish joined Mountaineer athletics in July 2024 as behavioral health therapist in the Clinical and Sports Psychology unit working directly with West Virginia University student-athletes.
The clinical and sport psychology unit provides counseling and performance enhancement services, clinical services, including short-term individual counseling, group counseling crisis intervention services, psychoeducation workshops, risk assessment and reduction intervention for all student-athletes. The unit also serves as an instructional and educational role to promote the areas of student-athlete health, resilience and wellness.
Benish most recently owned and operated Thriving Minds Consulting, LLC, where she led individual and team mental performance training sessions for youth athletes and created and delivered workshops for approximately 20 USA soccer coach educator developers to enhance their use of coach-centered training practices.
Her professional experience includes a year stint at the Waynesburg University Counseling Center, a five-month stint at the WVU Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services, a three-year tenure as a mental performance consultant trainee working with the Mountaineer women's tennis team and another year working with Division I tennis athletes as a consultant trainee.
She received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Robert Morris University in 2016, graduating summa cum laude, a master of science degree in kinesiology from Georgia Southern University in 2020, a master of arts degree in clinical mental health counseling and a doctor of philosophy degree in sport, exercise and performance psychology from West Virginia University in 2024.
In October 2024, she received her provisional license in counseling and in April 2025, she became credentialed as a certified mental performance consultant (CMPC) through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. She also possesses memberships in the Association of Applied Sports Psychology (AASP), American Counseling Association (ACA) and United States Figure Skating Association.
Originally from Zelienople, Pennsylvania, Benish currently resides in Washington, Pennsylvania.
Karla Klein
Behavior Health TherapistKarla Klein joined Mountaineer Athletics in July 2024 as a fellow in the Clinical and Sport Psychology unit working directly with West Virginia University student-athletes.
The clinical and sport psychology unit provides counseling and performance enhancement services, clinical services, including short-term individual counseling, group counseling crisis intervention services, psychoeducation workshops, risk assessment and reduction intervention for all student-athletes. The unit also serves as an instructional and educational role to promote the areas of student-athlete health, resilience, and wellness. She recently earned her master's degree from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in social work and is deeply passionate about mental health, particularly supporting individuals through their most challenging moments. Prior to WVU, she worked at a clinic providing individual and group mental health and substance use services to American Indian/Alaska Native populations with complex needs. Additionally, she spent two years as a graduate assistant at Nebraska-Omaha, where she supported undergraduate and graduate social work students. Klein also earned her bachelor's degree from Nebraska-Omaha in social work in 2022, graduating summa cum laude. Presently, Klein is eager to leverage her professional background in mental health, as well as her personal experience as an athlete, having competed in gymnastics for 10 years as well as track and cross country. She is currently licensed through the West Virginia Board of Social Work and possesses membership in the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Klein resides in Morgantown.WVU utilizes a solution-focused approach to therapy while also integrating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Relational Cultural Therapy, Mindfulness concepts and performance enhancement strategies into his work. He has experience working with student-athletes with varying mental health (e.g. anxiety, depression, grief, relationships, etc.) and sport performance concerns (e.g. motivation, confidence, injury, etc.). When working with student-athletes he takes a holistic perspective with the hope to help the client become more self-aware, so they can self-regulate in order to be their best self and athlete.
Sofia bases her work on various theories (e.g., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Intrapersonal Process theory), and truly believes that the true core of meaningful help and support lies in the connection and relationship that is established between therapist and client. During every session she focuses on strengthening the relationship with the client in order to promote positive change in their lives.
Individual sessions provide a unique opportunity for a WVU student-athlete to talk one-on-one with a licensed mental health professional about their concerns and/or areas they would like to improve in life and/or sport. It is important to understand that you do not need to have "something wrong with you" to schedule an individual session. Given the demands placed on student-athletes, it can be common to need time to discuss mental health, sport performance, or a combination of the two. Typically, student-athletes seek individual sessions for any of the reasons listed below. However, if a student-athlete is unsure what they need, they can schedule a 30-minute consultation with a member of the Clinical and Sport Psychology team.
- Increasing Confidence
- Anxiety in Life, Sport, or School
- Adjustment/Homesickness
- Imagery and Visualization
- Identity Concerns/Questions
- Loss of direction/purpose
- Attention and Concentration/Focus
- Communication with Teammates/Coaches
- Relationships and managing conflict
- Self-talk
- Mindfulness
- Recovering from Injury
- Feeling sad, lonely, or hopeless)
- Achieving Goals
- Motivation
- Substance Use/Abuse
- Eating Concerns/ loss of appetite
- Body Image Concerns
- Anger management
- Sleep concerns
- Suicidal thoughts/self-harm
- Grief
- Attention/Concentation/Hyperactivty
In addition to individual sessions, the Clinical and Sport Psychology department can provide group sessions for student athletes as necessary.
The Clinical and Sport Psychology staff is a unique part of the athletic department. To schedule an appointment, student-athletes can email any of the staff members listed on the WVU Athletics staff directory under Clinical and Sport Psychology located here. If you decide to contact a staff member by email to schedule an appointment, please include your name, sport, and availability and we will be in touch as soon as possible.
Student-athletes can also seek mental health services through the WVU Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services. To schedule an appointment with Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services, call (304) 293-4431.
Please note that starting July 1, 2024, per the Campus Self-Defense Act passed in 2023 by the West Virginia Legislature, designated areas on the WVU campus will be marked with “No deadly weapons†signage in areas where patient care or mental health counseling is being provided.
Additionally, campus maps will show areas where concealed carry is and is not allowed. If you are scheduled for a patient care visit, all weapons are prohibited.
If you are experiencing a mental health emergency and would prefer a telehealth visit with a Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services Clinician, please call (304) 203-4431.
Please refer to https://safety.wvu.edu/campus-carry for additional information.
Student-athletes can also seek mental health services through the WVU Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services. To schedule an appointment with Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services, call (304) 293-4431.
In the fall 2021, WVU partnered with Talkspace, an online therapy service that connects users to a dedicated therapist from a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform. Talkspace is available at no cost to all WVU students, student-athletes, graduate assistants, and student managers.
Registered users can send text, voice or video messages to their therapist - anytime, anywhere - including from the comfort of home. Users also have the option to receive two 30-minute live video sessions with their Talkspace therapist, each month. Registration is open year-round. Check out the app store preview video for Talkspace and when you are ready to sign up and begin online therapy, simply enter your WVU MIX email address at talkspace.com/wvu.
Talkspace communication is confidential and secure. No one at the University (or anywhere else) will know who uses the service or for what purpose.
If you have questions about Talkspace, please Sara DiSimone at the Carruth Center, sara.disimone@mail.wvu.edu or (304) 293-0411.
In accordance with NCAA Mental Health Best Practice Guidelines, all student-athletes will complete a mental health screening with a member of the Clinical and Sport Psychology staff.
Sport psychology is a type of mental coaching that is used by athletes, teams, and others who want to improve their performance in any number of areas. Most athletes realize the importance of physical preparation. Exceptional athletes recognize that solid physical preparation combined with excellent mental preparation leads to their best performances. Emphasis is placed on the enhancement of psychological skills, such as confidence in one's abilities, focusing in the moment, and relaxing when under pressure. Time is often spent helping individuals recognize and more effectively utilize personal strengths. You can find more information on sport psychology by visiting the Association for Applied Sport Psychology website.
WVU student-athletes interested in setting up an individual session focused on sport psychology can contact a member of the Clinical and Sport Psychology staff to schedule.