Do you feel like you are better at training than you are at competing?
Sport psychology with Hana Nasser. Online, anywhere in New Zealand.
You've done all the incredible work behind the scenes. And then the whistle goes, and you're watching yourself play like someone you don't recognise.
**Registered psychologist. Elite sport background. Book in now.
SPORT
PSYCHOLOGY
SPORT PSYCHOLOGY
Any of these yours?
At training, you’re brilliant. On game day, you are someone else entirely.
You're worrying about being dropped, and so every practice and game feels like a trial.
You were cleared to play months ago, but you still haven't played like you did before.
You replay a mistake you made for days, when everyone else has forgotten about it.
When a big game is looming, you lose and notice your mind going to worst case scenario
You used to love the sport, and now you feel like you’ve lost the passion you once had.
If you resonated with any of these, you are exactly who Hana works with.
You don’t need to get rid of the nerves to be the athlete you want to be.
Let me guess… you've been told some version of block it out, stay in control, don't think about it. And you've noticed what everyone notices, which is that the harder you try to control what’s going on inside your mind and body, the worse it gets. And of course, it’s usually at the most important moments.
Hana has a different approach, one that allows you to put your attention and energy where it matters - into your sport. She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as well as other treatment modalities to support you to be the athlete you KNOW you are capable of being.
What athletes actually come to Hana for
We have a full online psychology practice that can support you with these. Hana can support you with the sports psychology side, and transition you on to another wonderful, experienced psychologist in our team.
-
Competing at the level you train at
The pressure that shows up days before you do, around trials, selection and finals
Coming back to the next ball instead of the last one
Rebuilding the confidence you used to have, or would like to have
Difficulty focusing, that is getting in the way of your performance
-
Returning from injury
Being dropped, benched or overlooked in your sport
Feeling less motivated
Perfectionism, and the fear of not being good enough
Sport on top of study, work, money and a life
Captaincy, and holding a group while carrying your own load
Stepping up a grade, switching codes, or stopping altogether
-
Anxiety and panic
Low mood and burnout
Food, fuelling, body image, and a relationship with eating that's got complicated
Sleep that's fallen over mid-season
What happened before sport, and how it's still showing up in it
Hana’s not just talking about elite sport, she's been in it too
Auckland Cricket Association, Lead Sport Psychologist (current) She is contracted to support mental skills across the men's and women's programmes. At training, at matches, and in the debrief afterwards.
Birmingham City FC Academy, England, Head Academy Psychologist Built the psychology service for the whole pathway, U9s to U21s, and sat on the Academy Management Team. The academy was audited up from Category 2 to Category 1, and led the wellbeing strategy.
Watsonians women's 1st XI, Scotland The first Scottish women's club ever to qualify for the European Hockey League.
Scottish Hockey, U18 girls Three seasons, including European Championships and four nations tournaments. She's been on the tour, in the hotel, and in the changing room afterwards.
MSc Performance Psychology, University of Edinburgh. Sport and exercise psychology accreditation, Chartered Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences, UK, Registered New Zealand General Psychologist, specialising in Sport.
A NOTE FROM HANA
I’ve spent a lot of years in and around sport, and seen the difference it makes when athletes understand themselves and how their brains respond under pressure. Pressure will always happen, what matters is knowing what to do with it when it does.
I won't hand you a set of mental skills off a shelf. We start with you, your sport and your environment, and we build from there.
How it works
Book. No referral, no waitlist. Straight in.
First session, 90 minutes, $350. This initial assessment allows Hana to get a sense of what’s been happening for you and what’s going on right now. You will leave with a clear read on what's actually going on, and a plan forward with Hana.
After that, 50 minutes, $230. These sessions will allow you to work towards the athlete you want to be, supporting you in navigating the challenges that are currently getting in your way.
All online. From home, from camp, from a hotel room on tour. Anywhere in New Zealand.
For Parents
You've done the 5am drives, the tournament weekends, and been present on the sidelines match after match - you are a phenomenally integral part to your child’s sporting career!
Maybe you’re noticing that they’re not enjoying it so much, or perhaps they're outstanding at training and their game performance doesn’t match what you see they’re capable of. Or, perhaps they got deselected and have understandably been having a challenging time since then.
Hana spent three years running the psychology service across an entire academy pathway in England, working with players, coaches and parents. She knows the selection cycles, and she knows how fast a young person's whole sense of who they are gets welded onto how they played on Saturday.
She sees athletes aged 16 and up directly. For anyone younger, get in touch and she'll talk you through what's appropriate and how involved you'd be.
For Clubs, Codes and Academies
Or build it into the whole environment.
Mental skills programmes designed around your squad, your season and your sport
Player workshops built from a needs analysis, tailored to your athletes
Coach and support staff development
Wellbeing strategy, referral pathways and emergency protocols
On-site support at training and on match day
Post-performance debriefs
Hana's done this at academy and national programme level for six years, inside multidisciplinary teams alongside coaches, physios, S&C and medical. She's Auckland based and available to travel.
FAQS
-
Absolutely not! What matters is that it matters to you - that is the most important thing.
-
It's psychology, applied to your performance and to you. Some of it's skills, and some of it is gaining more self-awareness and understanding. Usually both, and you set the balance.
-
Then you're already in the right place. Hana's a registered psychologist inside a full practice, and if you need further psychological support, we have a fantastic team of experienced psychologists.
-
Not unless you want them to. Hana goes through the exceptions in your first session together. If you'd like her working alongside your coach, you decide together what gets shared.
-
It sure does! And the beauty of it for athletes means that you can be travelling, and Hana can meet online with you wherever you are. This makes it much more accessible and flexible for your schedule.
You know what you're capable of and where you want to be.
Right now, it feels like there’s a big gap between this and what turns up on the day. Hana is here to help you work towards being the athlete you want to be, walking alongside you to tackle the barriers getting in the way.