Dr. Léger a native New Yorker, former NCAA Division 1 volleyball player, and currently a licensed sport and counseling psychologist. She is the owner of The Collective Edge PLLC, her sport and counseling psychology private practice. Her experiences as an athlete and high achiever, along with her values in being an advocate has blossomed into a passion for creating systems that foster healthy human development for all high performers and the stakeholders in their lives. Throughout Dr. Léger's doctoral studies she worked at various sites providing individual therapy, group therapy, crisis intervention, sport psychology services, consultation, psychological assessments, and outreach services to diverse populations in identity, mental health presentation, and leadership positions. In each of these roles she took action in creating long-standing impact in advocating for the psychological needs of high performers through professional consultation and effective relationship building with key stakeholders.
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Dr. Léger known as a skilled communicator that can simplify complex dynamics and concepts in a manner that promotes understanding, hope for change, and empowerment. Through the use of empathic and liberation-based services she facilitates change by collaborating with the key stakeholders in her clients’ lives and the systems they perform within. It’s important to Dr. Léger to form bridges between everyday people and high performers in the pursuit of mental wellness and optimal performance.
VICE PRESIDENT
DR. NATALIE LÉGER, PSYD, LP
Photo Credit: Diana Beague Esq.
EDUCATION
Dr. Léger completed her Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology and M.Ed. in General Counseling at Springfield College where she successfully defended her dissertation titled ‘The Salience of Protective Factors in Managing Organizational Stressors for Collegiate Athletes’. Her doctoral externship training sites included a social justice practicum at Brookings Elementary School, a community-psychology oriented practicum at Rusk Rehabilitation Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program at NYU Medical Center, and a university counseling with athletics specialization role at Eastern Connecticut State University. Dr. Léger's doctoral training culminated in an APA-accredited doctoral internship at Stony Brook University Counseling and Psychological Services where she engaged in an athletics apprenticeship. She then went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship at Georgetown University Counseling and Psychiatric Services. Dr. Léger received specialized sport psychology training through the completion of a Master’s in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology at Barry University where she also began pursuing the requirements for CMPC certification. Prior to her Master's she received a Bachelor's of Science in Exercise Science from The George Washington University where she also competed on the NCAA Division 1 women's volleyball team.
NOTABLE PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS
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APA 2020 Virtual Conference - Symposium: “Empowering Diverse Students in College-Creating Policies and Preventative Interventions That Matter”
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Springfield College: A SEAT at the Table - “Shut up and Dribble”: Social Justice, Politics, and Sport: Tools for Preventing the Dehumanization of Athletes
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Little East Conference SAAC and Conference-wide Athletic Administration Leadership - “Athlete Identity”
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AASP 2021 Virtual Northeast Regional Conference - ‘Know Your Role: The Intersection of Social Justice, Sport, and Sport Psychology’.
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Synergistic Solutions Embodied Retreat 2023 – ‘Being More without Doing More’ (microDOSE)
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AASP 2023 Annual Conference - Panel – ‘Building the Plane as You’re Flying It: Reflections on Supervision and Mentorship Outside of and Beyond Academic Settings’
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
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American Psychological Association (APA)
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Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP)
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AASP Diversity in Sport Ignite Program, Inaugural Class
