About Chase Mindset
About Milissa Aronson
Hi! I’m Milissa and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). I graduated from NYU in 1998 with masters’ degrees in social work and management and have been working in the field of mental health ever since. Over the course of my career, I have worked as a therapist, clinical supervisor, director, and administrator in outpatient and residential programs. I have also been a teacher and mentor to dozens of graduate students from NYU, Columbia, Hunter, Fordham, Rutgers, and Seton Hall.
Sports have always played an important role in my career, be it a way to connect with my clients, bring out their strengths, or a focus of treatment. When I became a parent to two young athletes, I started to become more familiar with the pressure and schedules that student athletes (and their families) manage today. I realized that there are a lot of resources available to help young athletes develop skills specific to their sports, but there aren’t many supports dedicated to helping them overcome the mental barriers that get in the way of their performance so that they can play with more joy and confidence. This realization motivated me to focus my clinical skills on ways to help student athletes in these areas. I have since received advanced EMDR training in the area of Performance, obtained a Certificate in Sports Social Work from the University of Michigan, and become an active member of the Alliance of Social Workers in Sports. As a therapist with specialized training in the mental health issues unique to student athletes, it is my goal to help these athletes to continue to build on their strengths and discover new ones as they overcome the challenges that they are experiencing during games and competitions, and become the best versions of themselves in sports and life!
The Chase Mindset Approach
Chase Mindset integrates evidence-based approaches for psychotherapy and the collaborative approach to social work with sports performance coaching, creating a unique program that addresses athletes' strengths, performance obstacles, relationships, and mental well-being. Through individualized assessment, I work with athletes and their families to recognize the factors that negatively affect their performance and develop tailored plans to overcome these obstacles and sustain this improvement.
While I recognize the importance of athletes owning their identity as athletes, I work with my clients to get to know their identity outside of sports and help them better understand this identity so that they can work on being their best selves in competition and in life. By incorporating EMDR and HeartMath in my work, I do more than teach athletes stress management skills and techniques to help boost their performance. I work with them to change their nervous system so they can get out of their heads and feel more confident! I provide sessions in my office and on location in the sports setting so that the athlete can practice in a realistic setting and we can ensure progress. These techniques translate across seasons and sports and carry over into other areas of the athlete’s life, resulting in improved sleep, increased resiliency, and improved overall mental well-being!
“You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this and you will find strength.”