​​What is Performance Psychology?

Performance Psychology addresses the unique set of mental skills required for elite performance.  Appointments are designed to assess your current skill set and implement the strategies and techniques necessary for progress.  This may occur over a few focussed sessions, or during regular appointments designed to realign your mental focus on an ongoing basis.
Some of the areas you may like to work on include:
  • Management of stress, nerves and performance anxiety.
  • Increasing confidence and self esteem through addressing limiting self-talk, thinking patterns and core beliefs.
  • ​Developing increased focus and concentration during both rehearsal and performance.
  • ​Preparation for auditions.
  • Learning to reliably get into your zone for peak performance every time, regardless of outside influences.
  • ​Developing reliable practice routines and schedules.
  • Learning how to bounce back from mistakes or sub-optimal performances.
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Performing to your highest potential is not an innate ability, it must be learnt.​

The Mindful Performer also provides Workshops for groups of students to introduce the core concepts of Performance Psychology and discuss the various challenges performance creates.  If you think your students could benefit from a Mindful Performer Workshop please get in touch.

Ready to get started?

WE ARE CURRENTLY ACCEPTING NEW CLIENT REFERRALS

​To make an enquiry or book an appointment, please email 
​
​[email protected]
Appointments available via Telehealth, or in person:
​Level 8
 193 Macquarie St, 
Sydney 2000


​Amy Radford

Principal Psychologist

I know what it’s like to pursue a career as a performer - questioning your every move, worrying about what everyone else thinks, never feeling you performed your best  - I’ve been there!  I know now it doesn’t have to be that way, but I wish I’d known earlier that mental skills training is integral to all performance.  It’s my aim to empower performers with scientifically proven skills, techniques and strategies to ensure not only performance excellence and success, but also to create a fulfilling, resilient, enjoyable career with less anxiety and fear.  If you are fed-up with inconsistent performances and would like to do better, let me show you how! ​

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I began working with Amy in 2015 after attending her presentations at the Lisa Gasteen National Opera School. I was really impressed by the way in which her approach to performance coaching is based on an understanding of neurological processes and a knowledge of the latest research. These aspects, combined with her own professional experience, have been of great help to me in dealing with the challenges of performing and of the profession in general.  I recommend her very highly to all performing musicians, whether professional or student.

Penelope

Pianist
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Vocal Coach

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I found Amy to be an incredible resource concerning the forming of a career, the mindset and psychology of an artist, the perceptions we have of ourselves as artists and the wrangling of our ego that accompanies it. Amy helped me through an incredibly challenging period in my life, both in my view of myself as an artist and my role in the operatic industry as well as my personal life. I cannot recommend Amy highly enough to those seeking guidance through the travails of a challenging yet immensely rewarding career.

Christopher Tonkin

Baritone
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Australia

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Performing terrified me. Whilst I loved music and desperately wanted to play for others, I had little confidence and was soon a slave to beta blockers. Amy listened to my concerns and suggested tools for coping which gave me the courage to go out on stage; just me and my violin. It empowered me to enjoy the thrill of performing. I wish I had asked for help much earlier on in my career! Now I look forward to every performance.

Cathy Irons

Violinist
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Christchurch Symphony Orchestra

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I discovered Amy and her performance coaching, for helping a close relative who is a pilot with a major international airline.  A series of circumstances had badly affected his confidence while going through an important and highly stressful promotion process.  Amy’s expertise and care made sure that he was prepared to win the mind game throughout the whole process.  I highly recommend her coaching for anyone needing help with performance under pressure, fast - no matter what career they are in.

Paul Willsher

Senior Captain
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​Cathay Pacific Airways

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In any elite activity there comes a time when there is a gap between what you are physically capable of and what you are mentally capable of. Amy has been instrumental for me in starting to close this gap. She is kind, supportive and caring, and has given me so many tools that have allowed me to access more of my potential.  ​In my opinion Amy is an invaluable resource for any performer and I would highly recommend her. 

Bronwyn Douglass

Mezzo Soprano
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Australia

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What Amy gave me, after I found myself sporadically and unpredictably gripped by performance anxiety, was the ability to regain control over how my performances were going to go. She taught me that it is completely possible to train yourself to become the 'type' of singer who can be relied upon to predictably perform well under pressure. I would say Amy helped me to totally rewire my brain for the better. Even up to the point of performance, I wasn’t totally sure the work we had done together would have any effect. However, the preparation we put into a high pressure audition worked almost like magic! On the day I was confident, happy to be singing and truly able to express myself as an artist without inhibition. I would recommend Amy to any performer who feels frustrated by performance anxiety, or who would like to perform at their absolute best when under pressure. Thank you Amy!

Alice DeVille

Mezzo Soprano
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UK

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