QUESTIONS I GET ASKED A LOT...

1. What is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC)?

A Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) is a professional who has met rigorous, standardized requirements established by the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). This credential signifies that a practitioner holds an advanced degree (such as a doctorate in psychology or a related field), has completed extensive supervised mentorship hours in the field, and adheres to strict ethical guidelines. A CMPC specializes in helping individuals and teams optimize their performance, build psychological resilience, and master the mental demands of high-stakes environments - whether in sports, military leadership, or the executive boardroom. Credentials can be helpful in providing oversight of a professional field, and this is the gold standard for sport and performance psychology.
 

2. Is sport psychology just for elite athletes? When should someone begin working with a professional?

Sport and performance psychology is definitely not just for elite or professional athletes. While Olympians and collegiate athletes utilize mental performance training, it is equally valuable for high school athletes, coaches, business executives, and tactical leaders. You don’t need to be in a crisis or experiencing a severe slump to benefit; the best time to begin working with a performance psychologist is BEFORE you hit a plateau. Whether you want to overcome performance anxiety, handle high-pressure moments, bounce back from an injury, or simply unlock a new level of consistency, mental training provides the tools to get you there.
 

3. How is mental performance work different from therapy?

While both fields draw on psychological principles, they have different primary scopes. Clinical therapy generally focuses on healing past trauma, diagnosing mental health conditions, and treating psychological distress to restore baseline functioning. Mental performance consulting and coaching, on the other hand, focuses on the present and the future. It is designed for mentally healthy individuals who want to optimize their psychological skills, enhance execution under pressure, manage stress, and achieve specific goals. Some tactics may be similar as there is a focus on what a person is thinking and feeling, the main difference is the focus of thoughts and feelings are targeted towards optimal wellbeing and peak performance in a given field.
 

4. How long until I see results?

Mental performance training is a skill-building process, much like physical conditioning. Some clients notice a shift in self-awareness, emotional regulation, and tactical focus within just 2 to 3 sessions as they learn frameworks like cognitive reappraisal or focus skills. However, deep behavioral change and sustainable high performance typically develop over a multi-week or multi-month engagement. The goal is to equip you with independent tools so that you become your own best performance architect over time. My goal with every client is to teach you to not need me anymore. 
 

5. Do you work with young athletes? Do you work with coaches, parents, and non-sport clients?

Yes, across the board.

• Young Athletes: I have worked with athletes as young as 8 (under specific circumstances) through high school, collegiate athletes looking to navigate confidence dips, perfectionism, or unsupportive environments. On the other end of the spectrum, I have work with Olympic athletes preparing for Senior game competitions. The main criteria is a person's capacity to have self-awareness and practice self-regulation of mental skills. 

• Coaches & Teams: I partner with coaching staffs to build team culture, improve communication, and manage high-pressure season dynamics. Numerous individual coaches have worked with me to develop their mindset and self-regulation skills.

• Parents: I also help sport parents navigate the delicate balance of supporting their athlete's mental wellbeing and performance journey through coaching conversations.

• Non-Sport / Executive Clients: Because performance architecture is universal, I routinely work with physicians, scuba divers, lawyers, business executives, real estate developers, and federal law enforcement leaders who face high-stakes operational pressure outside of athletics.
   

6. Can mental performance coaching be done virtually, or does it have to be in-person?

Performance psychology and executive coaching can be delivered both in-person and virtually. While face-to-face sessions are available throughout the Columbia, SC and Greater Midlands area (including Lexington, Irmo, and Chapin), virtual coaching allows me to work seamlessly with athletes, teams, and executives nationwide without sacrificing the depth, rapport, and impact of the coaching relationship.
 

7. What does a typical performance coaching session look like?

Sessions are highly practical, structured, and customized to your specific arena. We begin by reviewing recent performance data or high-pressure situations you’ve navigated. From there, we introduce evidence-based psychological frameworks—such as cognitive restructuring, emotional intelligence metrics, or strategic subtraction—and translate them into concrete, actionable steps for your next game, board meeting, or operational deployment. You leave each session with clear mental tools to apply immediately.
 

8. How do I get started or schedule an initial consultation?

Getting started is simple. You can reach out directly via the contact form or schedule an initial consultation through our website. We will briefly discuss your specific goals, the challenges you or your team are facing, and map out the right performance architecture roadmap to move you from managed chaos to sustainable high performance.