The Mental Side of Injury Recovery Every Athlete Needs to Hear (ep 140)

About this episode

Dana Jones interviews Lauren Turner about the mental and emotional aspects of injury recovery for athletes.

In this episode of the Pain Free Athlete Podcast, Dana Jones sits down with Lauren Turner, LCSW, licensed clinical social worker, mental performance coach, former collegiate athlete, and founder of The Turner Practice. Lauren shares powerful insight into the mental and emotional side of injury recovery, chronic pain, athlete identity, and the importance of listening to your body before pain gets worse. They discuss how athletes often stay in pain long before they admit it, why recovery is rarely linear, and how the injury process can affect confidence, identity, and mental health. Lauren also breaks down the stages of recovery in a way athletes and parents can understand, while offering practical strategies to support young athletes, high performers, and anyone navigating pain, setbacks, or burnout. This conversation is especially valuable for athletes, parents, coaches, and anyone who wants to better understand the connection between the body, mind, and long-term performance. Lauren's Bio Lauren Turner is a licensed clinical social worker, mental performance coach, and former collegiate athlete. She founded The Turner Practice in 2019 with a commitment to expanding access to…

People in this episode

Host: Dana Jones

Guest: Lauren Turner

Topics covered

• injury recovery
• mental health
• athlete identity
• chronic pain
• performance coaching

Keywords

• injury recovery
• mental performance
• athlete identity
• chronic pain
• confidence
• burnout

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Turner Practice

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