The Full Story
The Rider Behind the Psychologist
Behind the degrees and the clinical experience, I am—first and foremost—a rider just like you. My passion for performance psychology didn't come from a textbook; it came from a need to save my own riding career. Here is the story of how I went from anxiety to achievements, and why I’m so passionate about helping you do the same
The Invisible Battle
If you had met me years ago, I might have looked "fine" on the outside. But inside, I was battling a paralysing narrative of fear that was stripping away the joy of the sport I loved.
My journey into sports psychology didn’t start in a lecture hall; it started in the dirt. After a series of bad falls and an injury that left me with chronic pain, I faced a choice point. Medically, I was fit to ride. Mentally, I was broken.
When I met my husband and decided to get serious about showing Cutting horses, I found that the confidence I had as a young rider had vanished. It was replaced by overwhelming anxiety and relentless "What Ifs." What if he bucks? What if I fall again?
I became a reactive rider—stiff, frozen, and micromanaging every step because I was terrified of losing control. I knew how to ride, but my brain simply wouldn't let my body do the job.
The Search for a "Unicorn"
I went looking for professional support, but I kept hitting a wall. I sat with wonderful sports psychologists and counsellors who treated my anxiety like a fear of public speaking. They didn't understand that in our sport, the "equipment" has a brain of its own. Trying to explain the tension of a warm-up pen and the management of a horse's behaviour to a non-rider felt like explaining color to someone who sees in black and white.
On the flip side, the only other options I found were experienced riders who had completed minimal mental skills training. While they understood the sport, as a qualified psychologist, I was acutely aware of the limitations of this approach. True performance resilience often requires navigating complex psychological terrain that goes beyond basic mindset strategies.
I realised that if I couldn't find the person I needed—someone who held both the clinical expertise and the equestrian understanding—I had to become her.
From Panic to Podiums
I went deep into performance psychology as a personal lifeline. I researched, experimented, and adapted strategies to fit the saddle. It wasn't a quick fix—and as a psychologist, it was humbling to admit I needed to do this work myself—but it worked.
Once I stopped fighting my own brain and the fog lifted, I shifted my focus from safety to excellence. I went from dreading the buzzer to chasing it, eventually winning a series of championship trophy buckles. That first buckle was tangible proof that these tools worked.
Why This Matters for You
You are getting guidance from someone who has studied the science of the brain, but who also has dirt on their boots.
I know that specific, hollow pit in your stomach at the in-gate—the one that makes you question your sanity and wonder why you spend all your time and money on this sport
I know the agony of wanting a result so badly that you get in your own way. I know what it feels like to try to control every hoofbeat, only to feel the rhythm dissolve and the points slip away because you were stuck in your head instead of riding the horse underneath you.
And I know the razor-sharp focus it takes to tune out the noise when it counts. I know what it requires to quiet the crowd, the scoreboard, and your own doubts, so you can make that one split-second, brave decision that turns a safe round into a winning one.
Why I Do This
I do this work because I hate seeing riders suffer in a sport that should bring them joy. But equally, I hate seeing talented competitors leave critical points and championships on the table simply because their mindset became the ceiling on their success.
I built this practice to offer exactly what I couldn't find when I was in the thick of it: a resource that combines real clinical qualifications with real horse sense. I want to be the person I needed back then—someone who bridges the gap between the tack room and the clinic with practical solutions, not empty promises.
That means no fluff, no toxic positivity, and absolutely no spammy upsells. I don't use dodgy marketing tactics to push low-quality services. Instead, I deliver science-backed strategies that actually work in the real world.