Performance Therapy: What Ronald Araújo's comeback teaches every athlete
Barcelona captain Ronald Araújo's openness about anxiety and depression, his mental health break and his return in 2026 (source)
Barcelona captain Ronald Araújo stepped away to address anxiety and depression, then returned transformed. Former pro and therapist Kevin George on what performance therapy really involves.
Ronald Araújo, FC Barcelona
Barcelona captain Ronald Araújo admitted in late 2025 that he had lived with anxiety and depression for almost two years. He stepped away, worked on his mental health and returned in early 2026 saying he felt like a new person. He then urged other players not to suffer alone.
That message lands hard for me. I played professionally at West Ham United and Charlton Athletic. I know the dressing room rule: strength means silence. Araújo broke that rule publicly, and the result was not weakness. It was a captain back leading his team.
Kevin George, Charlton Athletic FC
Ronald Araújo, Liverpool
Performance is not only physical
Footballers train their bodies every day. Very few train the mind with the same structure. Yet confidence, focus, composure after a mistake and identity outside the game all decide careers.
Performance Therapy treats the athlete as a whole person. We work on pressure, fear of failure, injury and the identity questions that come with transfers, contracts and retirement. My work draws on original research with 45 professional footballers, which became the foundation of Soccology.
Not just for professionals
Academy players, semi professionals, coaches, and athletes in other sports carry the same pressure with less support. So do performers outside sport: musicians, executives and anyone whose job is judged in public.
Frequently asked questions
Is Performance Therapy the same as sports psychology? It overlaps, but it goes deeper. Sports psychology often targets skills. Performance Therapy also explores the emotional roots of what blocks performance.
Is it confidential from my club? Yes. Sessions are confidential within BACP ethical limits.
Book Performance Therapy: Book Performance Therapy for players here.
