FIRSTAR Let's chAT: an Athletic Therapy podcast | Official Podcast of WFATT
Official Podcast Of: The World Federation Of Athletic Training & Therapy (WFATT)
We are each the expert of our own story and expertise always holds value.
Join this Athletic Therapy-driven discussion, an integrated and collaborative space for practitioners, athletes and sports performance personnel.
We Grow. Together. Organic Dialogue, Passionate Pros.
Join The Conversation. Join The Community.
About the Host:
James Gardiner is an Athletic Therapist and Strength & Conditioning Specialist with over 17 years of professional service. He has worked with athletes from major sports at the professional level (including MLS, NLL, NHL, MLB, MiLB, NCAA, OHL, AHL, CFL, Olympians, World Competitors) and high level amateurs.
In hosting this podcast, James brings insight, passion and a drive to push the profession of Athletic Therapy forward as an integral part of the human performance landscape.
FIRSTAR Let's chAT: an Athletic Therapy podcast | Official Podcast of WFATT
Session 153 (September, 2025): Empowering Minds and Uniting Hearts
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Session 153
Empowering Minds and Uniting Hearts
In a continued build-up to World Congress Dublin, 2025, we sit down with two leaders in the fields of mental and behavioural therapy. Alyssa Anderson and Jessica Huett will present their expertise and an organizational approach to delivering meaningful material in mental health avenues in Dublin. We discuss the path to this expertise, the excitement of being a part of an international event and the profession of Athletic Therapy and Training.
Alyssa Anderson, PhD, LAT, ATC currently serves as an Associate Professor of Athletic Training and the Clinical Education Coordinator at North Park University in Chicago, Illinois. She earned her PhD in Health Sciences with a concentration in Healthcare Professions Education from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in 2022. She holds degrees in athletic training from North Park University and Ohio University.
Alyssa is a certified instructor for Mental Health First Aid and is passionate about equipping students and professionals with the knowledge and tools needed for holistic care of patients, particularly related to mental health. She periodically provides patient care to secondary school and collegiate athletes. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Dave, and their dog, Sherlock.
Jessica Huett, EdD, LAT, ATC works as the Director of Health Systems Technology and Simulation for Rhodes State College in Lima, Ohio. Jessica’s professional background includes teaching in health science and athletic training programs and caring for patients in varied practice settings. Her contemporary expertise within behavioural health has been developed over 20 years in clinical practice, an advanced degree in Sport & Exercise Psychology, and certification as a suicide prevention gatekeeper instructor for the QPR Institute.
Jessica and her husband, Rob, and daughter, Elise, live in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where they enjoy being active outdoors, watching a good movie, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.