#1 Hockey Sports Psychologist
Sharpen your mental game before the puck drops
Hockey players know that the difference between a good shift and a great one often comes down to focus. Maybe you crush it in practice but tighten up in games, or a single mistake throws off the rest of your night. With the right mindset tools, you can reset quickly, block out the noise, and skate with confidence shift after shift.
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Keep your focus where the puck is right now
In hockey, mistakes are part of every shift. The problem is when one error sticks in your head. A bad pass in the first period can mess with you deep into the third. Instead of playing in the moment, you replay what went wrong. That pressure only leads to more slip-ups.
A hockey sports psychologist guides you in bouncing back fast and shifting focus from what happened to what’s next. With practice, you trust your instincts again, stay loose, and go all out on your very next play. Hockey feels faster, sharper, and more fun when you stop carrying your mistakes on your shoulders.
Win the moments that decide games
Hockey is fast, physical, and unpredictable. The players who rise are the ones who think quicker than the game itself. Your stick skills and speed matter, but your decisions under pressure decide the outcome. Train your mind and the rest of your game follows.
Stay steady under pressure
Pressure hits hardest in overtime or when you’re defending a short corner. Mental toughness means trusting your reps and instincts when the scoreboard’s tight. Calm players make smart plays.
Reset after every shift or play
A blown coverage or missed shot can follow you into the next shift if you let it. Hockey’s too fast for that. Learn to reset, skate to the bench, breathe, and lock back in. Next play, fresh mindset.
Stick to your game plan
Momentum flips fast, a penalty, a turnover, a lucky bounce. Strong mental prep means knowing your system and trusting it when things get wild. Don’t chase the chaos, stay with your structure.
See the play before it unfolds
Great players read the ice and the turf a second ahead. Train your brain to picture the passing lanes, the deflection in front of goal, or the breakaway finish. If you can see it first, you can make it happen.
Keep cool in the noise
Whether it’s a packed rink or a rival crowd on the sideline, emotions can crack players who let it in. Elite athletes manage the noise and stay focused on the puck or the ball. Block it out, play your game.
Battle through slumps
Every hockey player hits a scoring drought or a rough patch. That’s the test. Slumps aren’t the end, they’re the chance to build grit. Reset, double down on the small details, and let your mental game carry you back.
Meet the psychologists who give you the edge in shootouts and corners
Our hockey sports psychologists know that hockey’s not just about skating fast or hitting hard. You need to keep your head clear when the game gets messy. Our expert psychologists help you stay locked in during penalty corners, trust your instincts in overtime, and bounce back quick after mistakes. When your mindset’s sharp, every shift and every play feels like one you can win.
Brian Langsworth
Michelle Pain
Harley de Vos
David Barracosa
Gareth J Mole
Madalyn Incognito
Darren Godwin
Alexandra Mapstone
James Kneller
Lauren Bischoff
Chris Pomfret
Interested? This is how it works.
Send us some basic details first and foremost
Whether you are enquiring on your own behalf or for someone else, please let us know the details about how you think we may be of service by completing all the fields on our New Enquiries form below. Once received, we'll try to get back to you within 24 hours.
Book In a call with tara or lizzie
After we get your enquiry, we'll be in touch to schedule a call with one of our New Enquiries Officers. During the call, you can elaborate on what kind of sports psychology support you are looking for, and they'll explain the 'boring but important stuff', such as the costs of our various Monthly Options.
We'll help you pick the right psychologist
Once you have provided Tara or Lizzie with more information about what you are looking for, they are uniquely placed to suggest which of our growing team of psychologists to start working with. They can also help you decide which Monthly Options to begin with, as well as book you in for the initial Kick Start Session.
Start improving your mental toughness
Once your initial Kick Start Session has been confirmed, your new sport psychologist will be in touch to introduce themselves and provide you with some key information about how to get the most from our unique approach to 1-on-1 Mental Toughness Training. Are you ready? Contact us now, and let's get started.
Keep your composure when the game gets chippy
In practice, your hands are smooth and the field or the ice feels wide open. But once the puck drops, pressure creeps in. A bad turnover or a loud bench can get in your head fast. Suddenly you’re gripping the stick too tight and chasing the play. The key isn’t more drills. It’s to learn how to park mistakes and play shift to shift. With the right mindset, you stay sharp and let the game flow.
Find confidence under any coach
Coaches want the best from you, but sometimes their words hit like weight on your back. The more they push, the harder it feels to keep up. You may start playing timid, worried about every decision on the ice. That constant pressure drains your love for the game. Instead of feeling motivated, you just feel stuck.
A hockey sports psychologist helps you build tools for handling tough feedback without letting it crush you. You learn how to manage the outside noise and stay focused on what you can do right now. Confidence comes back, even under tough coaching, and you take control of your play again. Keep your coach’s intensity from shaking your game.
Get in touch
Fill out the form below to take the first step toward mastering your mental game.
Questions people ask us about a hockey sports psychologist
How is working with a hockey sports psychologist different from reading tips online?
It’s easy to search for advice online about confidence or focus, and some of it can even help a little. But when you’re actually in the middle of a game, things can play out very differently than they do on paper.
Reading tips isn’t the same as putting them into practice under real pressure. Working with someone who understands hockey gives you strategies that fit the rink environment, not just general advice.
For example, if you’re a defenceman who loses focus late in the third period, the plan you’ll follow will look different from what a forward or goalie might need. Instead of broad tips like “stay positive,” you’ll walk through pre-shift routines, breathing drills during line changes, and ways to reset your head after a mistake.
You also get feedback on what’s actually working for you, not someone else. Online advice can make it seem like there’s one answer for everyone, but every player has their own triggers and challenges.
A hockey sports psychologist helps you find tools that match your game and your mindset so that you’re not just collecting information, you’re changing how you play on the ice.
What types of struggles do hockey players usually bring up?
Players often say things like, “I can’t shake mistakes once I make them on the ice,” or “I get nervous before tryouts,” and these feelings are really common. Hockey is a game where one bad shift can feel bigger than it actually is, and that can eat away at confidence.
Performance anxiety, dwelling on mistakes, or feeling like your practice skills disappear during games are all regular struggles players talk about.
Some players deal with focus problems. They might start out sharp in the first period but then drift mentally by the third, and that shows up in missed plays or penalties. Others feel the weight of tryouts, tournaments, or coach feedback to the point where they grip the stick tighter than usual.
It’s not just about the athletes either. Parents often worry that the stress of competition is draining the fun out of the sport for their kids. When the joy goes, performance usually drops too.
A hockey sports psychologist helps players and families recognise where these mental blocks come from and gives them tools so the player can get back to playing with more calm, confidence, and focus.
Will working on mental skills really make a difference in tough games?
It’s normal to doubt if mental skills training will show up when it counts most, like in a playoff game or a big tryout. But think about how much time you’ve spent on skating drills, shooting, or conditioning. Those tools kick in during games because you’ve rehearsed them. Mental skills are the same. When you practise them, they become automatic under pressure.
For example, many players freeze up after a turnover and end up making a second mistake right away. A hockey sports psychologist teaches how to reset with a quick routine so you’re ready for the next shift instead of staying trapped in the last one. That small change can shift how you perform in those key moments.
The truth is, nerves and pressure don’t go away. Even elite players in the NHL feel them. The difference is that they have mental routines to handle it. If you’ve built those habits, they’ll kick in when the game is on the line, helping you stay composed and play the way you’ve trained.
Does this mean something is “wrong” with me or my kid?
This is one of the biggest worries players and parents have. The truth is, working with a hockey sports psychologist doesn’t mean there’s something broken or wrong. It’s the same as hiring a skating coach or a shooting coach. It’s just a different type of training, focused on the mind instead of the body.
Almost every high-level athlete uses some type of mental performance coaching. It’s not a sign of weakness. In fact, it shows you want to improve and you care about your game.
Just like players don’t wait for their skating to completely fall apart before hiring a skills coach, you don’t need to wait until confidence is at rock bottom to work on mental strength.
Parents also sometimes worry that their kids will feel singled out. The way sessions are set up, though, makes it more like learning new tools than talking about “problems.” The goal is always to help a player enjoy hockey, feel calmer, and handle pressure better. That’s something almost anyone could benefit from.
How long does it take to see results?
Players usually want changes to show up as fast as possible, especially during the season. The truth is that some small strategies can help right away. Breathing exercises before a face-off or simple routines between shifts can make nerves calmer on the same day you learn them.
But deeper habits like letting go of mistakes or building stronger pre-game focus usually take more time. Think of it like strength training. You notice a small difference early, but the real results show up the more you stick with it. Some players notice improvements in just a few weeks, while for others it might take longer.
The good news is that even little changes add up. If a player stops overthinking for one extra shift or keeps composure in one more play, that’s progress.
Over time those moments stack up, shifting how you feel across entire games. What usually matters most is consistency, just like in hockey practice. The more often you use the techniques, the faster your game feels different.
What if I don’t have much time with my hockey schedule?
Most players feel like their schedule is already packed. Between practices, games, travel, school, and family, adding one more thing can feel impossible. The positive thing about mental skills training is that it doesn’t need hours each day. Many of the strategies take just minutes at a time.
For example, a goalie might run through a short breathing exercise before stepping into the crease. A forward could reset focus during a 30-second line change. These tools are designed to fit into the rhythm of hockey life, not take over it. Even longer sessions are flexible and can usually fit around practice and game days.
Think about it this way: you already spend hours each week working on skills like skating and stickhandling. If you can carve out even 15 minutes for your mental game, that can pay off by helping all those other hours of training show up when it matters most. It’s less about adding more to your plate and more about boosting what you already do.
Can mental training help with pre-game nerves?
Pre-game nerves are one of the most common struggles players have, from juniors to pros. Feeling anxious before a big game isn’t always bad. A little adrenaline can keep you sharp. But too much worry can make your legs shake or your mind wander to “what ifs.”
A hockey sports psychologist usually teaches routines you can use to balance those nerves. Things like breathing methods, mental rehearsal, or even specific music playlists can calm you while still keeping your energy high. Some players also use cue words or anchor phrases to centre their thoughts before stepping on the ice.
It’s also about learning how to see nerves differently. Instead of treating a racing heart as a problem, you can see it as extra fuel. Small mindset shifts like that help you stay in control instead of letting anxiety run the show.
With practice, pre-game nerves stop feeling like something scary and start feeling like a normal part of getting ready to perform.
Why do practice skills disappear during games?
This is a complaint a lot of athletes share. In practice, you hit every pass, but in games you miss simple plays. Most of the time, it’s not because your skills vanished. It’s because stress and pressure change how your brain and body connect.
When you overthink in a game, your body doesn’t move as freely. For example, if you start worrying about the crowd or what will happen if you mess up, your muscles might tighten and your timing gets thrown off. That’s why it feels like all the hours of training vanish.
One of the main goals of working on mental performance is to help you “trust your training.” When you build game-day routines that quiet overthinking, your skills show up just like they do in practice.
Drills like breathing resets, focusing on the present play, or visualising success before the puck drops can stop your brain from getting in the way. In the end, you don’t need new skills. You just need to free them up in games.
What if sessions feel boring or not useful?
Sometimes people imagine that mental training is just sitting and talking, and that can sound dull. But a good sports psychology approach for hockey is usually active.
You might practise things like quick resets during a shift, or ways to shut down negative chatter in your head. Some tools are even built into practice drills so they don’t feel separate from hockey.
If something feels too “wordy,” it can usually be adjusted to match your style. Some players prefer short cue words. Others like visual images. The key is finding methods you’ll actually use during games.
It’s also normal that not every tool works for every player. It’s like equipment. The first stick you grab might not feel right, but that doesn’t mean hockey itself is boring.
Trying different strategies until one clicks is often part of the process. When you find the mental routine that fits, it stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling like an edge you can take into every game.
How do I know if this is worth the cost?
Money is often one of the biggest questions, especially when families are already paying for travel teams, gear, and training. One way to think about it is this: you already invest in the physical side of hockey, from skates to stickhandling camps. Mental skills training is another layer that helps those investments pay off.
If a player struggles with confidence, nerves, or focus, then their physical skills don’t always show up in games. That means time and money spent on practice might not be showing full results. Mental training helps bridge that gap so a player’s actual ability starts showing up more often under pressure.
It’s also worth considering the impact beyond hockey. The skills you build in handling pressure, staying calm, and bouncing back from mistakes are useful in school, work, and life outside the rink.
While cost matters, many families find the long-term benefits make it worthwhile. It’s not just about winning games, but about helping the player perform better and enjoy the sport again.
