Psychology

We protect athletes’ sense of choice and respect their cultural identities. This helps build motivation, trust, and deeper engagement in their own growth.

We help athletes build personalised strategies to perform under pressure, based on their unique strengths and areas for development.

We teach athletes how to improve their brain health, manage stress, and build resilience skills that benefit them both in and out of sport.

We support athletes in finding value and balance in both sport and life, with a focus on holistic wellbeing.

We work across disciplines, alongside coaches, medical teams, and other professionals, to build shared understanding and strong communication.

Jenna Cowan is a Sport Psychologist dedicated to promoting and improving mental performance and wellbeing in high-performance sport environments. She supports athletes and teams build resilience, focus, and confidence to perform at their best, combining evidence-based strategies with a warm, athlete-centred approach. 

Registered as a Counselling Psychologist in both New Zealand and Australia, Jenna has wide-ranging experience working with individuals and teams to strengthen mental wellbeing, boost performance, and create positive environments where people can thrive. A Board-Approved Supervisor (Australia) and qualified teacher, she’s passionate about learning, leadership development, and working alongside others to create environments where people can grow and perform at their best. 

With academic specialisations in sport psychology, human movement science, and education and an integrative therapeutic approach, she has supported athletes and coaches across rugby, rowing, hockey, cricket, swimming, athletics, kayaking, snow sports and triathlon, helping them build the mental edge to thrive under pressure and achieve sustainable success – both on and off the field. 

Jason is a Senior Psychologist that moved to Cambridge to work for HPSNZ in 2013.  He has led psychology for Cycling, Rowing, and the Waikato Magic Netball team.  Now back in Christchurch Jason is the lead psychologist for Equestrian, assists in Snow Sport and several Christchurch based Olympic campaigns including Trampoline, Para Kayak and Shooting. 

Jason holds an MSc in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology from Bangor, Wales, PG Dip in Psychological Practice from Massey and PG Dip in Clinical CBT from Canterbury.  He predominately uses a combination of CBT, ACT and Solution Focused Brief Therapy to support athlete’s wellbeing and performance. 

Prior to HPSNZ, Jason held a sport psychology private practice and worked as a Performance Psychology Consultant supporting businesses to improve engagement and performance, deliver leadership training and executive coaching, recruitment and career coaching.  During a stint in the UK, Jason worked in coach development providing IPP based training opportunities for coaches as well as building mentoring programmes to support coaches to learn and support each other. 

Michelle Lenaarts is a registered Counselling Psychologist with over 10 years of experience supporting individuals across the lifespan, including children, adolescents, and adults. With a personal background in high-performance sailing, Michelle brings a unique understanding of the mental demands of elite sport. She works with athletes at all levels, helping them navigate performance anxiety, motivation challenges, mood disorders, and life transitions. Her passion lies in empowering athletes to thrive both in and out of their sport. 

Michelle draws on a range of evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness-based interventions, tailoring her work to meet each client’s needs. Her approach is compassionate, collaborative, and grounded in real-world experience. 

Outside of her clinical work, Michelle enjoys spending time with her family and friends, staying active through sport, and seeking out new adventures in the outdoors. 

Lucy is a Counselling Psychologist with over 10 years’ experience supporting individuals through a range of challenges, both clinical and non-clinical. Her approach is individualised, client-centred, and grounded in empathy and collaboration. With a background in sport, she has a passion for working with athletes, helping them to unlock their potential not only in their sporting performance but also their personal lives. Lucy understands the complex psychological demands that come with high-performance environments, alongside the importance of managing well-being within the personal domain too. She works with athletes and coaches to develop clear goals that centre around peak performance, whilst understanding that mental health is foundational to any success. Lucy aims to support athletes to develop resilience through personal insights, learning, building their sense of self, and utilizing up to date research and tools to see their potential met. Lucy takes an integrative therapeutic approach, using evidence-based practices of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. 

Sarah is a clinical psychologist specialising in sport, working with athletes and their support teams to cultivate mindsets that enhance performance in high-pressure environments. Since 2016, she has primarily supported high-performance athletes but also sees clients across a wide range of sports in private practice. 

Sarah uses a diverse range of psychological interventions, including group therapy, tailored to each athlete’s individual needs and developmental stage. She collaborates closely with medical, nutrition, and physiology to provide integrated care—particularly when managing clinical concerns such as fuelling issues or elevated risk. 

Brent is a registered senior clinical psychologist. His education was undertaken at Waikato University in New Zealand where he gained a Bachelor of Social Science’s, a Master of Social Science’s (with First Class Honours) in Psychology and a three-year Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology.

Brent understands that as humans we all have huge capacity and capability, but often we have learned to get in our own way, or we may not practice how to tap into and leverage our strengths when challenged. As a psychologist specialising in sport performance and clinical psychology, Brent combines scientific knowledge and real-world experience to unlock your potential.

Drawing from his diverse roles and experiences, Brent offers a nuanced perspective on your human ability. Brent’s extensive experience working in sporting, clinical and criminal sectors across New Zealand and Australian backgrounds enables him to adapt his methods to individual/team needs, meeting you where you are to help you reach your goals.

Rachael is a Sport Psychologist with High Performance Sport New Zealand, working full-time with Cycling New Zealand in Cambridge. This year, she supported athletes at her first UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Chile. Prior to joining the high-performance system, Rachael worked across mental health, education, and private practice, developing a strong foundation in wellbeing and performance support. Outside of work, she’s a busy mum of three energetic boys who love giving every sport a go — from touch and ripper rugby to swimming, tennis, and football. 

Dr. John P. Sullivan is a Clinical Sport Psychologist with over 30 years of scholarly and applied experience across elite sport, tactical, and aerospace settings. Prior to his appointment as Head of Psychology at High Performance Sport New Zealand, he previously served as Director of Sport Science/Head of Sport Psychology for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (2000 – 2016). His applied work spans 43 sports across professional and Olympic programmes. 

He has served as a subject-matter expert and technical lead for USNSWC/DEVGRU commonly known as SEAL Team Six and contributed to human performance research/applied work within NASA and DARPA. 

As an academic/researcher, he has held roles within Brown University Medical School, University of Rhode Island Doctoral program Clinical Psychology/Neuroscience, and Queensland University of Technology focusing on human performance, health, psychophysiology and neuroscience.  

Dr. Sullivan has authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and books, most recently “The Brain Always Wins 2.”