Dr. Tess M. Kilwein (she/they)

More About Tess

Dr. Kilwein is a board-certified clinical, health, and sport psychologist licensed in California, Colorado, New York, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming, with authorization to practice virtually across the U.S. via PSYPACT®. They are a Certified Mental Performance Consultant® through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, credentialed by the National Register of Health Service Psychologists, and listed on the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Mental Health Registry, the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Mental Health Network, the Major League Baseball Players Association Mental Health and Wellness Network, and the National Football League Players Association Mental Health Clinician Directory. Nationally, Dr. Kilwein is the elected chair of the American Psychological Association (APA)'s Committee for Rural Health, a member-at-large of APA Division 47: Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology’s executive committee, and the technology chair for the Clinical/Counseling Sport Psychology Association’s advisory board.

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Dr. Kilwein owns and operates Unapologetic Psychology PLLC, a telemental health practice dedicated to psychotherapy, consultation, training, and sport and mental performance services. Their work focuses on high-performance individuals—such as athletes, performers, healthcare workers, and executive professionals—while also centering LGBTQIA2S+ and rural communities. Dr. Kilwein previously served as the sport psychologist for Vanderbilt University Athletics, delivering comprehensive sport psychology, mental health, and performance services to student-athletes, teams, and staff. They provided individual support to athletes across all teams and were the designated sport psychologist for cross country, golf, lacrosse, volleyball, tennis, and track and field teams.

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A specialist in integrated behavioral health, sport and mental performance, alcohol and substance use, sexual health, trauma, rural health, and LGBTQIA2S+ experiences, Dr. Kilwein is committed to dismantling barriers to mental health care. Their approach is trauma-informed, affirming, and liberatory, addressing mental health at the intersection of performance, identity, and systemic marginalization. In addition to clinical and consultative work, they are an author and community activist, contributing to academic journals and media outlets such as Psychology Today. Dr. Kilwein is available for consultation, training, and speaking engagements.