Speaker Profile

Cali Werner, Ph.D., LCSW, CMPC is the Director of Business Development and a behavior therapist at the OCD Institute of Texas and founder of Athlete Rising, LLC, where she specializes in treating anxiety, OCD, and performance-related concerns in high-achieving athletes. A former Rice University Division I distance runner, Cali earned nine conference titles and Honorable Mention All-American honors in the 10K while navigating her own experience with OCD. She later competed in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials marathon and was the top-placing female Houstonian at the 2023 Houston Marathon. Her doctoral research at Baylor University culminated in the full dissertation Where Do We Go From Here? Mental Health in the World of Elite Sport, based on in-depth interviews with 20 Olympians examining mental health before, during, and after elite competition. Cali is also the author of the children’s book Anxious Annie and is dedicated to advancing public education, advocacy, and access to evidence-based treatment for athletes and families.