Guidance & Leadership Development

 
 

GUIDANCE & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

HTFT's Guidance and Leadership Development program is built as ongoing mentorship that supports the work happening in therapy, not a substitute for it. It provides structured mentorship, leadership training, and emotional support to youth athletes and individuals through relationships with former pro athletes, mentors, and life coaches.

While clinical therapy must operate within clear boundaries, this program allows us to extend consistent support that is ethical, personal, and impactful. It reinforces the therapeutic process while expanding the athlete's overall development in a practical and relational way. This service can be built around sport and training, or it can stand entirely on its own without either. That approach depends on the client and what they actually need. For some, that means working through mentorship and conversation alone. For others, especially youth athletes, training becomes part of the process. Time together is also often spent in outdoor settings, drawing on the same environment and activities central to our Summer Retreat and Retreat Day experiences.

A key part of this program is the involvement of mentors with real, lived experience, including former professional athletes Kemal Ishmael and Lewis Brinson, and life coach Joseph Topel, who also leads HTFT's Youth Development program. Their roles are not symbolic. They are integrated members of our development system. Kemal and Lewis serve as mentors, not trainers. Their role is one on one mentorship, life transition guidance, and leadership rooted in lived athletic experience, without a training component. Joey, in his role leading Youth Development, incorporates training specifically when working with youth athletes, alongside the same mentorship and life coaching foundation. Together, their presence brings authenticity and relatability, especially for youth athletes navigating pressure, identity challenges, or emotional growth. Because therapy requires professional boundaries, this team helps bridge the space where mentorship can continue without crossing clinical lines. They reinforce the work being done in therapy by offering consistent support, real world feedback, and long term encouragement. Their involvement ensures that every client is supported emotionally, physically, and mentally across all areas of development.

If a situation calls for a more firm therapeutic presence, Trevor Barlow and other in house professionals are also available to step in. This doesn't take away from the coaching relationship, it simply adds another layer of support, handled in an ethical and responsible way, so that every client has the right level of care available to them at the right time.

Program features include:

  • One on one mentorship sessions

  • Leadership and character development

  • Accountability and life structure

  • Emotional guidance

  • Sport and training integration, where applicable

  • Integration with therapy and athletic performance planning

*This service is a cornerstone of HTFT's commitment to offering a complete support system that brings together therapy, coaching, and mentorship in one unified structure.

 
 

For information on pricing,

call (954) 806-5399