About Me

My Story

My journey to becoming a high performance psychologist began with a move to France and playing semi-professional rugby in the Federale Leagues. The step up in demands of playing at this level were huge, and opened my eyes to what is required by athletes when it comes to high performance levels.

A career in alpine ski racing coaching followed, moving through the ranks to be a Head Coach. The designing of on-snow programs and training coaches sparked the fire to learn how to help athletes and coaches reach their potential and overcome their own barriers to achievement. Working with world-renowned Olympic and World Cup coaches offered insights into what is needed in the high performance world.

This journey has led me to supporting the Canadian Paralympic Alpine Ski Team as their mental performance coach. Working with the athletes, coaches and team to prepare them for World Cup, World Championships and Winter Paralympic Games. I now take this high performance knowledge to help corporate executives and corporate teams.

My Training

My initial training was to be a teacher of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and started the process of researching and adapting that to be applicable to helping elite athletes. That inspired the next step of studying for a psychology degree, an MSc in Sport & Exercise Psychology at Loughborough University, and finally to completing my submission work to be a chartered member of the British Psychological Society.

Along that training pathway I was researching, and applying in client work, an integration of performance psychology and mindfulness psychology. Three major university studies have culminated in a peer-reviewed, evidence-based program that has now been used to help elite athletes and corporate executives deal with the complex demands of high performance.

Continued research is a key factor in my learning and growth as a professional practitioner. Additional professional development in Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), Compassion Focused Therapy CFT), Solutions Focused Therapy, Mindfulness Sports Performance Enhancement (MSPE), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi) has enabled me to become a knowledgable psychologist and expert in making performance psychology applicable.

My Approach & Philosophy

I believe that there are 4 fundamental skills that are essential for dealing with effectively dealing with high performance environments and protecting wellbeing – Awareness, managing Attention, helpful Attitude response and skilful Action (being able to choose responses).

With the development of these skills you can then better access powerful psychological mechanisms of change. Self-efficacy, decentering/disidentifying, compassionate responding, empathy & equanimity, reappraisal & reflection, and an approach orientation.

My research has shown these can lead to beneficial outcomes of psychological empowerment, self-awareness, resilience, self-regulation, and emotional intelligence.

These are the skills and mechanisms of change taught within my 8-session program – Munro Performance Empowerment Program™.