Kayla Balcom, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and sport psychologist, and serves as the director of sport psychology for the Georgia Institute of Technology Athletics Association.
In her role, Dr. Balcom works to ensure the sport psychology department delivers top-notch care to student-athletes with an emphasis on health, happiness, and well-being. She brings with her experience working in various systems, universities, and settings, and works to provide empathy, compassion, and connection for all clients on their therapeutic journey. Dr. Balcom specializes in providing a warm, welcoming, inviting environment for her clients centered on their unique needs, goals, and concerns. She strives to provide individualized care and understands that each human is unique and as such, each approach to therapy is different.
As a sport psychologist, Dr. Balcom is deeply admirable of the tenacity and resilience it takes to be a competitive athlete, and is a fan of the type of individual that takes on that challenge. As such, she is an advocate for her student-athletes, a fan at sporting events, and a confidential space for their growth when needed.
Beyond her clinical and administrative duties, Dr. Balcom is deeply engaged in education and outreach, offering QPR Suicide Prevention training and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training across the athletic department to both students and staff. Her dedication to the well-being of student-athletes is evident in her active involvement in speaking engagements, conference attendance, and community events aimed at promoting mental health awareness and performance optimization. Dr. Balcom works to strive toward excellence in the field of Sport Psychology, empowering student-athletes at Georgia Tech to thrive both on and off the field.
Balcom holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Texas. Outside of work, you can find Dr. Balcom spending time with her husband and young son, finding great places to eat, hiking or walking, or watching television and relaxing. She is a big fan of comedy clubs, the WWE, and sporting events and enjoys finding new ways to laugh and live her life to the fullest.
