Faculty Directory

Amanda Leibovitz

Amanda

Leibovitz

Amanda Leibovitz

Assistant Professor

  • Dissertation Coordinator

  •  
  • Campus:
  • Online
Department
Sport & Performance Psychology (SPP)
Institution
University of Western States
Office Phone
971-418-9006
Email
Biography

Dr. Amanda Leibovitz earned a PhD in educational psychology with a concentration in the psychosocial aspects of sport and exercise from the University of North Texas and completed an MA in counseling with a specialization in sport and health psychology from Adler University. In addition to her academic degrees, Dr. Leibovitz is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Washington, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in South Carolina, and an EMDR Certified Therapist. As a dually trained practitioner, Dr. Leibovitz is also a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) and approved CMPC mentor through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.

Dr. Leibovitz has been working in private practice since 2015, where she offers both clinical mental health services and nonclinical mental performance consulting to a diverse population of clients. Her clinical work specializes in supporting individuals who are seeking to heal from attachment and developmental trauma, and she also offers a mindfulness-based approach to performance enhancement for elite youth, Division I, and Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Prior to joining the faculty at UWS, Dr. Leibovitz gained extensive experience supporting tactical populations and military veterans through her work with the U.S. Army's Holistic Health & Fitness (H2F) program and the Semper Fi & America's Fund.

As a researcher-practitioner, Dr. Leibovitz's applied experiences working with athletes with disabilities and wounded, ill and injured veterans sparked her passion for increasing the visibility of adaptive sport communities in peer-reviewed research. Her research interests include exploring the psychosocial needs of athletes with physical disabilities, improving the efficacy of sport and physical activity programming for veterans, and identifying best practices for sport professionals working with trauma-impacted athletes.

Education History
Degree Institution Year
BA International Communications Studies University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK 2010
MA Counseling - Sport & Performance Psychology Adler University, Chicago, IL 2015
PhD Educational Psychology - Psychosocial Aspects of Sport and Exercise University of North Texas, Denton, TX 2020
Professional Memberships
Role Organization
Member Association for Applied Sport Psychology
Member EMDR International Association
Member Postpartum Support International
Member American Counseling Association
Member Washington Mental Health Counselors Association
Publications
Chapter

Leibovitz, A., & Palmquist, C. (2025). Breaking through barriers to supporting para-sport athletes. In S. Chroni, P. Olusoga, K. Dieffenbach, & G. Kenttä (Ed.) Coaching stories: Navigating storms, triumphs, and transformations in sport (pp. 27-36). : Routledge.

Journal

Fallon-Korb, A.J., Leibovitz, A., Meir, G., & Stanley, C. (2025). The impact of sexual orientation on collegiate athlete sport-related belonging and well-being. The Sport Psychologist, 39 , 131-139.

Leibovitz, A. P., & Martin S. B. (2022). Cycling coaches’ trauma-specific education, familiarity with post-traumatic stress, and coaching efficacy. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 17 (4), 701-712.

Website

Leibovitz, A., & Clark, B. (2017). Sport psychology consulting with athletes with disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.appliedsportpsych.org/members/aasp-newsletters/march-2017/sport-psychology-consulting-with-athletes-with-disabilities/

Licenses
Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Washington
Licensed Professional Counselor, South Carolina
EMDR Certified Therapist
Certified Mental Performance Consultant