About Neal Palles, LCSW, CMPC

Therapy + Mental Performance Coaching for athletes in Boulder-Longmont + throughout Colorado

A therapist and sport psychology specialist in Longmont, Colorado.

Hi, I’m Neal

You’re feeling drained – a little fried. You’re frustrated that you haven’t returned to running or climbing after an injury. You feel like there’s a weight on your back. All those years you’ve put into your sport aren’t adding up.

You’re at the starting line and you feel a rush of panic – or you’re at the base of a climb and you can hardly breath, your chest is tight.

For many athletes – it’s after an accident or injury. Sometimes it’s after a DNF. For some it’s after having lost a close friend or loved one in an accident and now you just can’t bring yourself to get back to the crag... or stop thinking about it. For many athletes it hits at the core of who they are – their identity.

My work is about helping you feel strong in who you are – as a person both in and out of sport.  

Why I Love This Work

I became a therapist that specializes in athlete mental health and performance because I was fascinated with the psychological aspects of overcoming challenge and adversity – and our innate desire to explore personal limits. That we each have something more inside of us that we may sometimes be unaware of – or inhibited from reaching.

Working with athletes over the years I’ve come to help people recognize that the things that hold us back aren’t what we think they are – it’s not about developing ‘strength’ or ‘toughness’…and it’s often not as simple as learning to meditate, develop a self-talk practice – or ‘mental endurance training.’  They’re often wounds that we’ve carried for a long time. Stories we tell ourselves – beliefs we have about ourselves that aren’t gonna go away magically with a formula for mental strengthening.

I am passionate about helping athletes overcome and unlock those mental, emotional, and situational roadblocks – of anxiety, burnout, grief – recovery from injuries and trauma – so they can fully explore their potential in and out of sport.

Professional Facts

  • I specialize in Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) and other well established evidenced based interventions and am currently training as an EMDR Therapist. My work is informed by psychodynamic psychotherapy, self-compassion theory, cognitive behavioral therapy, and mindfulness-based approaches. I hold dual degrees in both social work and applied sport psychology. I am SafeSport Trained, as well as on the Mental Health Directory for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s – and the Grief Fund Directory of the American Alpine Club.

  • I am a licensed clinical social worker in the State of Colorado and a Certified Mental Performance Consultant® I have been in the mental health field for over twenty-five years. I hold a Masters degree in Social Work from Loyola-University, Chicago; Masters degree in Applied Sport Psychology from Adams State University, and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Oregon. Prior to private practice I’ve worked in hospitals, schools, residential treatment centers and for a long time as a clinical lead in an employee assistance program and behavioral health organization.

    Years before my career in mental health (and sometimes overlapping) I worked as a course director and instructor for Outward Bound; was a lead instructor for rock-climbing and snow-camping at the University of Oregon as well as numerous other outdoor and experiential programs.

  • I’m a dad. Husband. A runner, cyclist, climber, mountaineer, backcountry expert. Guitar playing owner of two wild labrador retrievers.

    I also coach ultrarunners and marathoners for Carmichael Training Systems, I don’t do therapy with people I coach – just saying.

    I try to practice what I preach and diversify my identity a bit.

What Therapy is Like with Me

Clients describe me as authentic – and – someone that challenges them gently and compassionately. A guide that helps them foster a sense of calmness and gain insight. They might leave their first session with tools they can put to practice feeling more relaxed more focused right away.

When our work is done – they feel more grounded, focused, relaxed and confident –they’re more fully engaged in life and prepared to manage the challenges that come their way.

This is what I love about providing these services – seeing you reach for your limits, finding you have a lot more inside.

Snapshot of Services