In the competitive world of athletics, physical training has long commanded the spotlight. Yet a revolution in sports psychology is underway in New England, where Dr. Heather Larkin has established herself as a pioneering force by addressing what many coaches and athletes now recognize as the missing piece in peak performance: the integration of mental health expertise with high-level performance psychology.
As founder of ALL IN Counseling & Mental Performance Coaching based in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, Larkin has developed The ALL IN Mindset™, a comprehensive approach that differentiates itself in a crowded field of performance coaching. While traditional programs often focus exclusively on motivation techniques, visualization exercises, or building grit, Larkin’s methodology digs deeper to address the root causes of performance blocks that plague athletes across all competitive levels.
“What we’re seeing with many athletes is that surface-level performance techniques aren’t enough,” explains Larkin, a licensed mental health clinician and mental performance specialist. “When an athlete struggles with perfectionism, confidence issues, or performance anxiety, the solution requires more than just positive thinking – it requires understanding and addressing the underlying mental health components.”
This dual approach has made Larkin a trusted advisor to youth sports programs, high schools, collegiate teams, and elite competitors throughout New England. What sets her work apart is her recognition that athletic performance exists within a system influenced by multiple voices – not just coaches but also parents, whose impact on young athletes’ mental wellbeing can be profound.
Larkin’s comprehensive approach is captured in her two books. “The ALL IN MINDSET: How to Fumble, Fail, and Still Come Out on Top” equips athletes with strategies to transform setbacks into growth opportunities. Her second work, “The Car Ride Chronicles: A Playbook for Sports Parents to Avoid Those Dreaded Car Rides Home,” addresses the often-overlooked parental influence on athletic development, providing guidance for supportive communication that builds rather than undermines confidence.
The impact of her work extends beyond just improved game-day statistics. Athletic directors and coaches report that Larkin’s approach addresses widespread issues like athlete burnout, which has become increasingly prevalent in youth and collegiate sports. By creating systems that support both performance excellence and mental wellbeing, programs working with Larkin are reporting not only improved competitive outcomes but also healthier athletic cultures.
Larkin’s vision includes expanding professional mental performance coaching to elite high schools, prep schools, and Division II/III college programs – areas where comprehensive mental training has historically been less accessible than at Division I and professional levels.
“The mental game isn’t a luxury add-on for elite athletes,” Larkin emphasizes. “It’s a fundamental component of development for every athlete who wants to perform at their potential and maintain their love for their sport.”
As athletics continues to evolve with greater recognition of the mind-body connection, Larkin’s ALL IN philosophy is positioning her at the forefront of a movement that’s transforming how we understand and train the mental aspects of sports performance – proving that excellence on the field and mental wellbeing aren’t competing goals but complementary elements of the same successful equation.
