MEET THE COLLECTIVE
At Zenith Mind Collective, we believe meaningful growth happens through connection, reflection, and support during life’s most challenging and transformative moments.
Our team is committed to helping individuals navigate pressure, identity shifts, uncertainty, performance demands, and transition with empathy, intentionality, and evidence-based support.
We recognize that every person’s experience is unique, and we strive to create an environment where individuals feel seen, supported, and empowered through change.
The Heart of zmc
Caitlin Rainey
Denver, CO
Caitlin Rainey is a mental performance consultant passionate about supporting athletes, students, performers, and professionals through pressure, growth, and life transitions.
Her approach emphasizes the connection between performance, identity, mental well-being, and the environments people move through every day. Caitlin believes sustainable performance begins by supporting the human behind the achievement.
Her passion for this work began in high school after experiencing a series of sports injuries. Through recovery, she quickly realized healing was not only physical — it also involved confidence, identity, resilience, and learning how to adapt through change. Those experiences shaped her commitment to helping others navigate injury, uncertainty, transition, and performance-related challenges with greater clarity and support.
Caitlin is especially passionate about shifting the mental wellness conversation from reaction to preparation. She believes individuals deserve access to practical, personalized mental skills and support before moments of crisis, burnout, or overwhelm occur.
Her work takes a client-centered and collaborative approach, helping individuals strengthen confidence, adaptability, self-awareness, and resilience while navigating high-pressure environments and transitional periods.
Caitlin earned her MA in Sport & Performance Psychology from the University of Denver and is currently working toward licensure in Colorado as a counselor.
Outside of her work, you can usually find Caitlin behind a camera, exploring mountain trails, watching women’s sports, or making friends with every dog she meets.
-
Performance through transition
Injury recovery and identity
Sustainable mental performance
Mental wellness preparation
Burnout and adaptability
Athlete identity development
Leadership and growth
Women in sport and performance
Confidence and resilience under pressure
-
Caitlin strives to create a collaborative, supportive, and reflective environment where individuals feel empowered to explore challenges, strengthen mental skills, and navigate transition with confidence and intentionality.
PROFESSIONAL INVOLVEMENT
-
Rewriting Recovery: A Conversation on Implementing Mental Performance into Physical Rehabilitation — Southwest Regional AASP 2026
Psychology of Athletes: The Impact of Injuries on Mental Health — Southwest Regional AASP 2025
-
Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP)
American Psychological Association (APA)
-
Master of Arts in Sport & Performance Psychology — University of Denver
Bachelor of Arts in Sport Psychology — Whittier College
Ella Brandt
Northern Suburbs of Chicago, IL
Ella Brandt is a mental performance consultant passionate about supporting athletes, through grief, loss, and life transitions.
Ella’s approach during sessions is client-led, with an emotion-regulation focus and a valuing of curiosity, collaboration, and values work. This allows clients to truly take the reins to ensure what they want to talk about is heard. Allowing clients to lead ensures they can voice their concerns and be heard in this space. Emotional regulation tools help people not only in sport but in everyday life. These tools can help individuals navigate difficult situations and succeed.
Her journey began in high school, when a sport psychologist came to talk to her lacrosse team. She was able to use those techniques on and off the field. These tools carried with her to college, where she played Division 1 lacrosse at The University of Detroit Mercy. At UDM, they also utilized a sport psychologist, which cemented her love for mental performance.
Ella has received her Bachelor of Arts in Developmental Psychology with a minor in Leadership and Addiction Studies from The University of Detroit Mercy. Ella then went on to earn her Master of Arts in Sport and Performance Psychology from the University of Denver, alongside Caitlin Rainey!
Ella currently works as a preschool teacher! In her free time, she loves to needlepoint, work out, hang out with friends, and read books.
-
Grief & Loss
Youth Athletes
Values exploration
Emotional regulation
Mindfulness-based practices
Performance Beyond the Field
Systemic approach
-
With individual work, Ella takes a collaborative approach to ensure that the client's needs are at the forefront of each and every session. The end goal is for clients to have a better understanding of who they are and what they value, and to have techniques to help them succeed, whatever that might look like to them.
During team sessions, Ella works closely with athletes to understand their thoughts and opinions; the sessions are tailored to the team's needs as discussed by the athletes. In collaboration with coaching staff, to take an integrated approach to apply session topics throughout the practices.
PROFESSIONAL INVOLVEMENT
-
Addressing Grief in Sports: The Role of an MPC — Southwest Regional AASP 2026
Performance Beyond Sports: Optimizing Early Childhood Development — Southwest Regional AASP 2025
-
Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP)
-
Master of Arts in Sport & Performance Psychology — University of Denver
Bachelor of Arts in Developmental Psychology with minors in Leadership & Addiction Studies — University of Detroit Mercy
READY TO NAVIGATE WHAT COMES NEXT?
Whether you are navigating pressure, transition, uncertainty, injury, burnout, or personal growth, Zenith Mind Collective is here to support you through the process.
Interested in Joining the team?
Zenith Mind Collective is always excited to connect with individuals who are passionate about human-centered performance, mental wellness, and supporting others through growth and transition.