Dr. Dana Blackmer joined VCU Athletics in August 2014. Prior to VCU, he worked in a community health center as a clinical supervisor and was in private practice as a clinical and sports psychologist for many years. He worked with professional, Olympic, collegiate, and high school athletes before arriving at VCU.Â
At VCU, he consults with student-athletes for personal counseling and helps them strengthen the mental skills they need for optimal sport performance. Additionally, he consults with coaches and teams on a variety of topics, including team cohesion, mindfulness, stress-reduction, and incorporating mental skills into physical practices. He has created a sport psychology section on the VCU Athletics website which includes information on wellness, injury recovery, and mental skills training, including a mental skills training audio library.
Dana received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Catholic University in 1987 and completed his internship at Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis. He received additional training at the Washington School of Psychiatry. He obtained certification as a consultant with the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.
Since his two daughters have graduated from college, Dana lives with his wife, Amy, and his basset hound, Gus. When he’s not working with or rooting for VCU student-athletes, he enjoys cooking, cycling, and woodworking.
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