Janell Kalifey, Mental Performance Coach and Therapist
Janell Kalifey, LCSW is a psychotherapist, licensed sports coach in New Orleans, and founder of Arize Performance. With 25+ years of experience, Janell specializes in psychoanalytic psychotherapy and mental performance. As a licensed therapist, Janell helps clients navigate challenges including stress, anxiety, depression, relationships, life transitions, grief and loss, trauma, and identity development. She offers both short-term, solution-focused therapy and longer-term, insight-oriented work.
Through her performance work, Janell supports athletes and high performers in managing performance anxiety, navigating injury and recovery, and breaking through plateaus. She integrates mental skills training with a deeper understanding of the psychological factors that influence performance. Janell’s approach is tailored to each individual or team, combining a psychoanalytic foundation with evidence-based modalities including mindfulness, somatic (body-based) approaches, performance psychology, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Her work emphasizes the connection between mind and body, helping clients develop greater awareness, emotional regulation, and flexibility under pressure. In addition to her clinical and performance work, she serves as a consultant on film productions and a speaker on topics related to athlete mental health, performance, and the mind–body connection.
Education & Training
Certificate in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
New Orleans Psychoanalytic Institute
Master of Social Work
Tulane University School of Social Work
Bachelor of Science, Psychology
Tulane University
Professional Experience
- Founder, Arize Performance
- Associate Faculty, New Orleans-Birmingham Psychoanalytic Center
- Certified Instructor, Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement (MSPE)
- USOPC (United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee), Listed in Mental Health Directory
- NBPA (National Basketball Players Association), Mental Health & Wellness Provider
Licensure and Affiliations
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), State of Louisiana
- Association of Applied Sport Psychology
- Alliance of Social Workers in Sport
Recent Presentations, Panels, and Workshops:
- Mind, Body, Sport: A Holistic Approach to the Injured Athlete, LCMC Health
- Training the Mind: Working with the Whole Athlete, Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine
- Athlete Mental Health in a Post-Pandemic World, Podcast hosted by Hart Pisani, Sports Reporter, Amarillo Globe-News
- Training Your Mind to Go the Distance, Varsity Sports Running Club
- Mental Skills Training for Coaches, The 18th Ward Youth Sports Club
- Surviving or Thriving? Prioritizing Athlete Mental Health, University of New Orleans Women’s Basketball
- Managing Nerves Before Games, The 18th Ward Youth Sports Club
- Blue Chippers, Documentary Film Consultant
- Fostering Team Chemistry, Isidore Newman High School