Mental Performance Services

PacificSport Vancouver Island is committed to providing industry leading mental performance consulting to athletes and coaches within its region. This section will provide information on mental performance services that athletes can access, as well as resources for mental health and mental performance. Please find contact information for mental performance consultants who have acquired, or are in the process of acquiring, the Certified Mental Performance Consultant designation, which represents the highest standard of the profession in Canada.

What is Mental Performance Training?

Similar to physical training, mental training requires consistent practice for athletes to see the benefits within their sport. Mental Performance Consultants (MPC) work with athletes and teams on issues related to performance enhancement, and offers the following services and strategies:

• Reach performance potential in sport
• Regulate arousal, stress, and energy levels
• Mentally plan for competition and games
• Improve communication and leadership skills
• Develop specific mental tools related to performance (goal setting, imagery, self-talk, relaxation)
• Use mental tools to target specific mental skills (energy management, stress management, attention, motivation, self-confidence)
• Recover from injuries and setbacks
• Build team culture and positive team environment

Why would I work with a mental performance consultant? 

There are many reasons why an athlete would seek services from a mental performance consultant, with one of the most common being performance enhancement. In addition to the physical skills required to perform within their sport, athletes must have the mental skills to deal with the psychological demands they face in competition, such as building self-confidence, refocusing after mistakes, controlling competitive anxiety, and planning for performance. By addressing mental performance areas within their sport, athletes will be able to:

• Regulate their emotions, thoughts, and actions to play to their optimal level
• Deal with the many stressors in competition and training
• Hold a high level of focus to maximize their training time
• Enjoy their sport while keeping a positive sport-life balance

What is involved in the first session?

The purpose of the first session is to identify what the issues are within your sport. Your past successes, challenges, and current obstacles are important pieces of information that will identify the best way to proceed in accomplishing your desired goals. An MPC will discuss your concerns and thoughts that will create a mental performance plan that fits with you. The first session is where a clear direction and time line is established in order to achieve your intended targets. The number of sessions required will be based on each athlete’s situation and needs.

The Importance of Confidentiality

Mental performance services are confidential, meaning that the information shared between an MPC and an athlete will not be available to individuals outside the athlete-consultant relationship (coach, other athlete, parent etc.) without the athlete’s consent. If athletes choose to release information, they will be required to complete a release of information form. It is important to note that there a few limits to confidentiality in British Columbia: a) if an athlete expresses an intention to harm themselves or another person, b) if there is a reasonable cause to believe a minor (< 19 years old) needs to be protected from abuse (physical, sexual, or emotional) or neglect, this must be disclosed the information with the proper authorities, or c) if an MPC is served with a valid subpoena, search warrant, or court order, he must comply. As well, all information is kept confidential after the termination of an athlete-consultant relationship.

How can I schedule a session?

To set up a consultation, contact a practitioner at the bottom of this page to set up an initial introduction. Please contact for hourly rates, workshop rates, package fees for teams and athletes.

Mental Performance Resources

Canadian Center for Mental Health in Sport (CCMHS)

The CCMHS is a registered charity supporting the mental health and performance of competitive and high-performance athletes, coaches, performing artists, and support staff. The CCMHS is the first Centre in Canada to offer collaborative sport performance-focused mental health care services designed to help individuals achieve their performance goals while preserving their well-being.

For more information please visit their website: https://www.ccmhs-ccsms.ca/

Mental Fitness

Canada Sport for Life outlines the developmental outcomes for mental training for each stage in the Long Term Athlete Development model. This document provides information on the different objectives athletes should focus on in the various stages of aspire to in their sport. This resource is a valuable asset for athletes, parents, and coaches as it provides a framework for what is most important at each age level to develop mental skills to compete in their sport and realize their potential.

Mental Fitness for Long Term Athlete Development

Mental Training Webinars

View our Mental Training Series Videos below.

Mental Performance Consultants

Shelbi Snodgrass (she/her), RCC, CMPC®

We are very excited to announce the addition of Snodgrass and Duff as a SportHealth partner to the Athlete Carded Services program. Shelbi will be offering a 15% discount on counselling and mental performance consulting to all of our registered athletes and coaches! Read about Shelbi below:

Shelbi is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) through the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC), a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC®) through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology, and a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) though the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. Her formal training is in mental health, addiction and recovery, and performance psychology. Shelbi is an Associate Faculty member of the Master of Counselling program at City University of Seattle. She has worked in the field as an applied practitioner for over seven years.

As a former varsity athlete, Shelbi is passionate about the field of performance. She supports Team Canada athletes and has worked with various provincial organizations and post-secondary institutions within British Columbia. Her approach to consulting and counselling centers around collaboration, the exploration of healthy identity development, self-empowerment, and leadership skills.

Shelbi values a systems perspective to behaviour and nurturing the human being in the performer. She aims to create a safe and inclusive environment for individual clients and teams. Shelbi believes sustainable growth requires community, conscious decision making, and a lifestyle commitment towards achieving goals within and outside of sport.

Services offered through the PacificSport Partnership include:

• Individual counselling
• Individual mental performance consulting
• Team sessions
• Coach consultation and support
• Webinars

To book with Shelbi, go to www.snodgrassandduff.com or email snodgrassandduff@gmail.com. Be sure to mention that you are a carded athlete to receive your discount.

Dr. Jordan Herbison (he/him), Mental Performance Consultant (In Training) 

Dr. Jordan Herbison is trusted collaborator with PacificSport VI in the areas of mental performance coaching and education. Jordan earned his Ph.D. and Master’s degrees in Kinesiology (specializing in Sport Psychology) from Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontario. After completing his doctorate, Jordan spent one year at McGill University as the McGill Sport Science Research Post-Doctoral Fellow before joining the Kinesiology Faculty at Vancouver Island University (VIU) in Nanaimo. His research program focuses on understanding and optimizing group environments in amateur/elite sport, exercise, and rehabilitation settings to enrich individual experiences, create participation opportunities, and develop effective leadership.

In his role as a Professor at VIU, Jordan has collaborated with PacificSport VI in the delivery of undergraduate course modules in the area of adapted and inclusive physical activity.

Jordan also delivers team and individual mental performance consultations with athletes and coaches in British Columbia and Ontario. He is currently serving as the mental performance coach with the Nanaimo Night Owls of the West Coast League (Collegiate Summer Baseball).

Dr. Herbison can be contacted at jordan.herbison@viu.ca for mental performance consultations.

Darby Walker (she/her), Mental Performance Consultant 

Darby is a Mental Performance Consultant with a Master’s of Science in Applied Sport Psychology (Accredited) from the University of Stirling in Scotland. While her main sports were Artistic Gymnastics and Badminton, Darby grew up as a multisport athlete competing in swimming, diving and volleyball as well. Darby offers Sport Psychology contract work within her company, Mind over Matter, where clients can work on overcoming barriers that stand in the way of achieving their goals and enhance performance (such as performance anxiety, fear or failure, fear of injury, goal setting, etc.).

Darby is the Lead Program Coordinator for Stillwater Consulting’s Nanaimo office, where she facilitates custom government funded training programs within the Forestry and Natural Resources industry. Her role is focused on developing and facilitating ‘soft skill’ course content, providing student support consultations, and liaising with external instructors to ensure that programs run smoothly. Prior to this, Darby managed a youth program for individuals with cognitive disabilities and special needs. These experiences shaped Darby’s philosophy of practice when it comes to mental performance consulting. Darby aspires to support people in finding consistency between practice and performance. She is particularly passionate about the power of connection and the impact that mental skills can have on a person’s quality of life.

Website: www.mindovermatterconsulting.ca