Our Team
Jessica Bartley
Dr. Jess Bartley is the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Director of Mental Health Services and a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Denver. Jess is a licensed psychologist and a licensed clinical social worker as well as a Certified Mental Performance Consultant with the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). She has been serving on the Executive Board for Division 47 in the American Psychological Association and has been a member of AASP, the Counseling/Clinical Sport Psychology Association, and the International Society for Sport Psychology. Her areas of expertise include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and mental health with athletes – specifically depression, anxiety, eating disorders and body image, substance use, performance anxiety, motivation, and sport transition/retirement after sport.
Jess earned a B.A. in government and sociology as well as an M.S. in Social Work from the University of Texas. She went on to complete an M.A. in Sport and Performance Psychology as well as a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in sport and performance psychology and behavioral therapy at the University of Denver. After graduation, Jess completed a fellowship at the Eating Disorder Center of Denver where she worked with colleagues to develop a treatment program for athletes with eating disorders. Jess has served college student-athletes’ mental health and performance needs at the University of Denver, the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), and the Ohio State University. She has also been contracted as the Sport Psychologist with USA Karate and USA Track and Field and has been providing mental health and performance psychology services to Professional Bull Riding athletes.
Taryn Brandt
Dr. Taryn Brandt is an Associate Director of Mental Health with the USOPC based out of Lake Placid, NY. Taryn is a licensed psychologist and is also a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) with the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Taryn is currently involved in several professional organizations including the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Collegiate Clinical/Counseling Sport Psychology Association (CCSPA). Her areas of expertise include mental health with athletes – specifically anxiety, depression, trauma, eating disorders and body image, identity concerns, injury and chronic illness, mindful meditation, and sport transition/retirement after sport.
Taryn earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Hartford. She went on to complete an M.A. in Sport and Performance Psychology at the University of Denver. She culminated her educational journey by completing a PsyD in Counseling Psychology with a focus on Athletic Counseling at Springfield College in Massachusetts. She completed a doctoral psychology internship and post-doctoral fellowship at Lehigh University Counseling and Psychological Services with an emphasis on sport psychology and providing services to student-athletes. Following this, Taryn worked as a Sport Psychologist at Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she provided mental health and sport psychology services to student-athletes.
Angel Brutus
Angel Brutus, PsyD, LPC-S, CRC, BC-TMH, CMPC®Dr. Angel Brutus is a member of the USOPC’s Mental Health Services Team as part of the department of sports medicine. She serves in this role after serving as the inaugural Assistant Athletic Director of Counseling and Sport Psychology for Mississippi State University where she provided direct clinical and performance enhancement services, served as an administrator and developed programming to address MSU’s sports culture. She also managed a private practice based in Atlanta, Georgia where she provided clinical and sport performance services to individuals, teams, and organizations. There she served as a medical advisory board member and training facilitator for the Eating Disorders Information Network (EDIN). Her training includes Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, Licensed Professional Counseling, Certified Rehabilitation Counseling and Sport-Performance Psychology. Angel is certified in Mental Health First Aid for adults.
She is also a Certified Mental Performance Consultant and serves as former coordinator for the Association for Applied Sport Psychology's (AASP) Race & Ethnicity in Sport Special Interest Group (SIG) – member of additional SIGs (Women in Sport, Anger and Violence in Sport, Eating Disorders in Sport, Adaptive Sport & Physical Activity) and is a member of multiple committees within AASP in which she co-chairs the Nominations/Leadership Development and previously assisted with Professional Ethics and served as an IGNITE mentor. She is also a member of a number of additional professional organizations, to include the American Psychological Association (Program Chair 2020), International Society of Sport Psychiatry, EMDR International Association, American Counseling Association, Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia and the California Association for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors.
Emily Clark
Dr. Emily Clark is a licensed clinical psychologist and serves as the Associate Director, Mental Health Services, based at the Colorado Springs Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. Dr. Emily came to the USOPC from Stanford University where she provided clinical and performance psychology services to varsity athletes and teams. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology and her masters in sport and performance psychology from the University of Denver and is board certified in biofeedback and neurofeedback. She is an active member of several professional associations including the American Psychological Association, the Clinical/Counseling Sport Psychology Association, the Association for Applied Psychophysiology & Biofeedback, and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.
Dr. Emily practices from a strengths-based, compassion-focused, contextual behavioral approach and sees sport as a platform to expand public awareness of social justice causes and increase inclusivity. In her clinical role, Dr. Emily evaluates and treats a broad range of mental health concerns including anxiety, depression, interpersonal issues, identity concerns, and trauma, but has trained in specialty areas of sleep disorders, substance use, and eating disorders.
Julia Cawthra
Dr. Julia Cawthra is the USOPC Team Member Mental Health Services Consultant. Julia is a licensed psychologist, and a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC). She is also Mental Health First Aid certified for Adults. Julia was most recently working for Auburn University Athletics as a psychologist focusing on mental health and performance. She received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Indiana University and completed her pre-doctoral internship at Utah State University Counseling and Psychological Services. She holds a Master of Arts in Sport and Performance Psychology from University of Denver, where she also completed a Bachelor of Arts in Molecular Biology. She is an active member in various professional organizations, including the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). She previously served on the Executive Board of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, where she focused on creating meaningful connections between student members and professional members while enhancing opportunities for mentorship.
Julia believes that our mental health is a vital component to multidimensional wellbeing, and with optimal mental health comes optimal performance, particularly in high demand environments. When working with Julia, you can expect a warm and empathic conversation about the systemic and contextual factors unique to you that are contributing to your current distress or concerns. Her areas of clinical expertise include mental health within the sport environment, such as anxiety, depression, burnout, disordered eating and body image, identity development, and interpersonal concerns.