Here for
the big feelings
I’m not here to fix you.
I’m here to help you
for all of it.
I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Athletic Trainer, and a former collegiate athlete who never thought I’d miss turf beads in my shoes—but here we are. After spending about 20 years on the sidelines, I’ve swapped cleats for cozy socks and now sit across from people (instead of sprinting after them) to help them navigate the messy, meaningful parts of life.
One of the hard lessons I’ve learned—and help clients learn as well—is this:
It's about accepting what’s out of your control
We learn to side-eye them
We don’t silence the thoughts—
During college, somehow I balanced my ADHD and Anxiety while showing up to practice, lifts, games, classes, and trying to manage a social life. When my athletic career ended, I had no clue who I was without a jersey. The transition to becoming a “NARP” (non-athletic regular person) rocked my identity, but therapy gave me the space to figure out how to pivot with purpose.
I’m now a therapist who manages life with ADHD and Anxiety—with my planners, color-coded to-do lists, and pretending I have it all together—when really, I’m just doing my best, like everyone else.
Now, I help high performers, athletes, and humans-who-feel-too-much learn how to set boundaries, stop people-pleasing, define who they are, and live a life that actually fits. We don’t run from the uncomfortable stuff—we learn to sit with it, learn from it, and then move forward with a little more clarity, confidence, and self-compassion.
therapy doesn’t need to be another thing you have to
Life’s already tough—
discomfort is part of the process
I believe that…
My approach is like a well-rounded training program—ACT is the core, but I also pull from CBT, TBRI, and relational therapy to meet you where you are.
Whether you’re an athlete or high-performer, we’ll work on shifting out of “just push through” mode and into a mindset that’s flexible, focused, trusting, and aligned with what actually matters to you.
We’ll treat mental work like physical training: with intentional reps, solid game plans, and a coach who’s in it with you.
This isn’t about chasing gold medals in perfection—it’s about building a life that feels like yours, on and off the field. This is about
We’ll work on setting boundaries, separating who you are from how you perform, and learning to lean into the tough stuff without letting it take you out of the game.
Fewer injuries to your identity.
More wins that actually matter.
Let’s rebuild your mental playbook—one rep at a time.
-
License
Counseling
MD - LC16731
OR - C7415
Athletic Training
OR - AT10206511
Education
Wake Forest University 2019
Masters in Counseling
Greensboro College 2013
Bachelors in Athletic Training
-
• Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP)
• Alliance of Social Workers in Sports (ASWIS)
• American Counseling Association (ACA)
• Clinical/Counseling Sport Psychology Association (CCSPA)
• Maryland Athletic Trainers Association (MATA)
• National Athletics Trainer Association (NATA)
• Oregon Counseling & Therapist
• Oregon Athletic Trainers Society (OATS)
-
Haugen, E., Edwards, M., Kovach, K., McLane, L., Shinnick, R. (under contract). Multidisciplinary Teams. In M. Kerulis. (Ed.), Counseling athletes: Development across the lifespan. Cognella.
Haugen, E., Kovach, K., McLane, L., Mosher, C., Shinnick, R. (under contract). Psychological skills training programs: injury & recovery. In M. Kerulis. (Ed.), Counseling athletes: Development across the lifespan. Cognella.
Kilwein, T. M., Bates, D., Nash, T., Guzman, G., Foss, J. M., Huysmans, Z., Selby, C., Savitsky, D., Cox, M., Andrews, S., Davis, S., Mack, S., McLane, L., Kovach, K., Bobbitt, S., Jones, J. L. (under contract). Common mental health concerns. In M. Kerulis. (Ed.), Counseling athletes: Development across the lifespan. Cognella.
Kovach, K. (2023, September 19). The art of disappointing those around you, and embracing it. Presentation delivered to student athletes on redefining failure at Chemeketa Community College , Salem, OR.
Kovach, K. (2022, March). SidelinedUSA Panel (Panelist), 2nd Annual Chicago Sports Injury Symposium. Virtual symposium hosted by University of Illinois, Chicago, Chicago, IL. Panel discussion. https://youtu.be/xfI56aHPz1E?si=CeUOVSwKDoui7Yeq
Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association. (2018, July). Medical clearance clearance for suspected head injury (K. Sporing, Task Force Contributor) https://www.mpssaa.org/assets/1/6/Medical_Clearance_for_Suspected_Head_Injury_7.18.pdf
Sporing, K. (2014, May 15-17). Cross Country Athlete Diagnosed with Vocal Cord Dysfunction [Case Study Presentation], College Athletic Trainers’ Society 2014 Spring Symposium For Athletic Trainers & Team Physicians. Las Vegas, NV.