Mental Performance
About mental performance in gaming
Mental performance refers to the psychological skills that underpin consistent, high-quality play. For gamers, this means being able to focus under pressure, recover quickly from mistakes, stay composed in ranked matches, and maintain effort and motivation across long sessions or tournament runs.
These skills are trainable. Just as mechanical skill improves with practice, the mental side of gaming responds to deliberate work with the right tools.
How mental performance challenges can show up
- Tilt: A downward spiral of frustration, poor decision-making, and escalating mistakes after something goes wrong.
- Performance anxiety: Nerves before or during ranked matches, scrims, or tournaments that hurt your play.
- Inconsistency: Playing well in casual settings but underperforming when it matters.
- Concentration difficulties: Losing focus mid-session, getting distracted, or zoning out at key moments.
- Motivation slumps: Feeling burnt out, losing the drive to play, or grinding without enjoyment.
- Negative self-talk: A harsh inner critic that compounds mistakes and makes it hard to reset.
Self-help ideas
- Build a consistent pre-session routine to get into a focused state.
- Use a short reset ritual between matches rather than immediately queuing again.
- Review your gameplay with curiosity rather than judgment.
- Set process goals for each session rather than rank-based outcomes.
- Track your mental state alongside your performance to spot patterns.
When to seek professional support
- Tilt or anxiety is consistently costing you performance in matches that matter.
- You have tried self-regulation strategies but they are not sticking.
- You are preparing for a competitive season or tournament and want structured mental preparation.
- Motivation or enjoyment has dropped significantly and you are unsure why.
How we help
- Building focus, composure, and consistency through applied psychological skills training.
- Tilt management strategies tailored to your game and play style.
- Performance anxiety work using cognitive and mindfulness-based approaches.
- Goal-setting and periodisation frameworks adapted from sport psychology.
Clinicians that can support with Mental Performance
Aisling McKenna (she/her)
Psychologist | Clinical Registrar Wednesday Thursday Friday Frankston Mount Waverley Online English 18-25 years old 25+ years old Counselling: $255 per hour
Aisling is committed to supporting adults in navigating life's challenges and fostering personal growth. She takes a collaborative, client-centred approach, working closely with individuals to tailor therapy to their unique needs and goals. Aisling has experience in both hospital and community settings, where she has supported clients facing a wide range of mental health challenges, including relationships, addiction, anxiety, and personality disorders.
Aisling completed a Masters in Clinical Psychology and remains passionate about helping individuals make meaningful, lasting changes in their lives. She utilises evidence-based therapeutic approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and mindfulness practices, always aiming to empower clients in their journey towards a more balanced and fulfilling life.
Angela Loo (she/her)
Educational and Developmental Psychologist Monday Mount Waverley Online English Mandarin Cantonese 6-8 years old 9-12 years old 13-17 years old 18-25 years old Counselling: $270 per hour Assessment: $425 per hour
Angela works with school-aged children, emerging adults and their families, supporting them through mental health concerns, emotional regulation challenges, school can't and big life transitions. She also conducts assessments for autism, ADHD and specific learning disorders. In sessions, she takes a collaborative approach, helping clients work out what matters to them so they can be guided by their own values when making choices. She prioritises creating sessions that are welcoming and judgement-free, and is open to feedback and incorporates them to shape how she plans and adjusts support.
She values cultural diversity and approaches each client with curiosity, adjusting her recommendations to meet them where they're at. Whether she's working through therapy or an assessment, she tries to keep her strategies practical and workable for her clients. Angela is an educational and developmental psychologist with experience across both school settings and private practice, giving her a good sense of how home, school and therapy fit together to support young people. She is a member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPI).
Aoife Bearsley (she/her)
Educational and Developmental Psychologist | Board Approved Supervisor Monday Tuesday Frankston Mount Waverley Online English 9-12 years old 13-17 years old 18-25 years old 25+ years old Counselling: $270 per hour Assessment: $425 per hour Supervision: $180 per hour
Aoife is passionate about helping people of all ages understand their strengths, overcome challenges, and build the skills they need to thrive. She takes a strengths-based, person and family-centred approach, working collaboratively with individuals, families, schools, and other professionals to provide tailored evidence-based assessment and interventions.
Aoife supports adolescents and adults with anxiety, depression, life stressors, trauma, executive functioning difficulties, emotional regulation challenges, self-esteem issues, and social skills difficulties. Her therapeutic approach draws on evidence-based interventions including CBT, ACT, DBT-informed strategies, mindfulness, trauma-informed care, behavioural activation, exposure-based approaches, cognitive restructuring, and schema-informed therapy. Her goal is to help every person build on their strengths, develop confidence, and achieve meaningful, lasting change. Aoife also conducts comprehensive psychological assessments for Autism, ADHD, Specific Learning Disorders, Intellectual Disability, and Giftedness, including complex cases requiring careful differential diagnosis. Aoife is committed to providing clear, thorough, and practical recommendations that support learning, wellbeing, and everyday functioning, and is well-versed on DIP, VCAA and NCCD requirements.
Brydie Brooks (she/her)
Senior Educational and Developmental Psychologist | Board Approved Supervisor Thursday Mount Waverley Online English 0-5 years old 6-8 years old 9-12 years old Counselling: $300 per hour Supervision: $210 per hour
Brydie is an Educational and Developmental Psychologist who supports children and their families through a warm, collaborative, family-centred approach. She focuses on building safety, connection, and shared understanding to support each child’s wellbeing and development.
Brydie provides therapeutic and capacity-building support grounded in trauma-informed and neuroaffirming principles. She values neurodiversity and works in ways that respect each child’s nervous system, lived experience, and unique strengths. Her work is play-based and child-led, recognising play as a powerful way for children to communicate, process experiences, and build skills. Brydie partners closely with families and other key supports to develop practical, strengths-based strategies that build confidence, emotional regulation, and meaningful participation at home, kinder or school, and in the community. Brydie brings extensive early childhood experience, having worked as a Kindergarten Teacher, Educational Play Therapist, and in Early Childhood Intervention. She holds a Master of Psychology (Educational and Developmental) from Monash University, a Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) from the University of Melbourne, and psychology qualifications from Swinburne University. Brydie is registered with AHPRA, is a Member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc, a Fellow of the Australian Educational and Developmental Psychology Association, and is a Board Approved Supervisor and Registrar Program Principal Supervisor (Educational and Developmental). Outside of work, Brydie enjoys exploring nature with her family, hiking, and creative hobbies including floristry, sewing, pottery, and art.
Dr. Grace Mackie (she/her)
Educational and Developmental Psychologist | Clinical Psychologist | Board Approved Supervisor Tuesday Wednesday Frankston Mount Waverley Online English 0-5 years old 6-8 years old 9-12 years old 13-17 years old 18-25 years old Counselling: $285 per hour Assessment: $455 per hour Supervision: $200 per hour
Grace enjoys working with young people and their families, helping to highlight both areas of strength and areas of difference to work toward reaching therapeutic goals and self-growth. Grace is particularly interested in autism assessment, WPATH assessment for trans people over 16 years old, working with LGBTQ+ people, and anxiety-related concerns.
Grace has completed the Master of Psychology (Educational and Developmental) combined with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program at Monash University. Grace’s PhD focused on exploring the mental health and school counselling experiences of transgender young people and psychologists within Australian secondary schools. Grace is a member of the Australian Educational and Developmental Psychology Association (AEDPA) and of the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health (AusPATH).
Hannah Schena (she/her)
Psychologist | Educational and Developmental Registrar Wednesday Online English 6-8 years old 9-12 years old 13-17 years old 18-25 years old Counselling: $255 per hour
Hannah is a Psychologist and Educational and Developmental Registrar. Hannah completed her Master of Educational and Developmental Psychology at Monash University. She has experience working with young people and their families across both school settings and private practice, supporting clients through a range of challenges related to attachment, neurodiversity, interpersonal difficulties, anxiety, and mood.
Hannah draws on evidence-based approaches including Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and the development of self-compassion. Her practice is grounded in the belief that the therapeutic relationship is central to meaningful change. She values building strong, collaborative connections with clients and enjoys the depth of counselling and intervention work that allows for genuine personal growth. Outside of work, Hannah enjoys practicing yoga and spending time with her much-loved fur-child, Maple.
Hashara Fernando (she/her)
Psychologist Wednesday Frankston Online English Singhalese 0-5 years old 6-8 years old 9-12 years old 13-17 years old 18-25 years old 25+ years old Counselling: $255 per hour Assessment: $395 per hour
Hashara is a psychologist who uses a neuroaffirming, strength-based approach in her work. She values working collaboratively with families, and liaising with teachers and other health professionals to provide holistic support to young people. She has particular interest and experience in emotional regulation, anxiety, neurodiversity, sleep difficulties, and cognitive assessment. Her therapeutic practice includes cognitive behaviour therapy, play-based therapy, solution-focused therapy, building mindfulness strategies, and emotional regulation skills.
Henrique Salles (he/him)
Clinical Psychologist | Educational and Developmental Psychologist | Board Approved Supervisor Friday Saturday Mount Waverley Online English Portuguese 13-17 years old 18-25 years old 25+ years old Counselling: $270 per hour Supervision: $180 per hour
Henrique enjoys supporting adults and teens with insomnia, phobias, social anxiety, and ADHD. He’s an advocate for nature-based therapy, offering optional ‘Walk and Talk’ counselling at a nearby trail for clients who find traditional settings uncomfortable, alongside his usual in-room sessions. He uses evidence-based approaches including CBT, ACT, and mindfulness. For insomnia Henrique delivers CBT-I, a structured treatment that takes around 6–8 weeks and helps address the factors that maintain chronic insomnia. He is a Clinical Psychologist and Educational and Developmental Psychologist, and is a board-approved supervisor of registrar programs covering counselling as well as neurodevelopmental, cognitive, and academic assessments.
Henrique is involved with the Australasian Sleep Association and serves as a director of the Australian Educational and Developmental Psychology Association. He completed a Master of Psychology (Ed&Dev) at Monash University, researching the connections between nature and mental health. In his personal life, Henrique enjoys chess, soccer, music, and reading.
Dr. Jake Kraska (he/him)
Senior Educational and Developmental Psychologist | Senior Clinical Psychologist | Board Approved Supervisor | Principal Psychologist Wednesday Online English 18-25 years old 25+ years old Counselling: $335 per hour Assessment: $515 per hour Supervision: $250 per hour
Jake is the principal psychologist at Level Up Psychology. He works as a Educational and Developmental Psychologist and as a Clinical Psychologist. Jake focuses on cognitive behaviour therapy, motivational interviewing and schema therapy in his counselling. Jake is experienced with a range of educational, cognitive, and social-emotional-behavioural assessment tools for testing and diagnosis. Jake is interested in researching how technology can help improve psychology outcomes.
Jake is a Member of the Australian Psychological Society, a Fellow of the APS College of Educational and Developmental Psychologists, a Member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Incorporated, and a Fellow of the Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologists. Jake has completed a Master of Psychology (Educational and Developmental) where he investigated the impact personality has between the relationship of cognitive ability and academic achievement. Jake also completed a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) investigating the use of computer adaptive testing to measure intelligence.
Louisa Trainer (she/her)
Educational and Developmental Psychologist Saturday Mount Waverley Online English 0-5 years old 6-8 years old 9-12 years old 13-17 years old 18-25 years old 25+ years old Counselling: $270 per hour Assessment: $425 per hour
Louisa works with children, adolescents, young adults and families experiencing anxiety, low mood, emotional regulation difficulties, learning challenges and behavioural concerns. Rather than asking, “How do we stop this behaviour?”, she seeks to understand what is driving it. Whether helping clients make sense of their emotions, identifying the reasons behind challenging behaviour, or supporting reading and spelling development, Louisa’s approach is trauma-informed, neuroaffirming and practical. She provides therapy, comprehensive assessments and structured literacy intervention using Sounds-Write.
Louisa often draws on Internal Family Systems (IFS), an approach that understands people as having different parts of themselves, each with its own role. Therapy involves getting to know these parts with curiosity, understanding the role they play, and learning new ways to respond when they show up. When behaviour has become a source of stress at home or school, Louisa uses Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) to work alongside children, families and educators. CPS focuses on understanding why expectations are difficult to meet, identifying lagging skills, and developing practical solutions together rather than relying solely on rewards and consequences. With younger children, Louisa incorporates trauma-informed play therapy, recognising that children often communicate feelings, experiences and relationships through play before they can express them in words. Louisa is an Educational and Developmental Psychologist, trained in Sounds-Write and IFS, and a certified provider of CPS.
Melissa Lay (she/her)
Senior Educational and Developmental Psychologist | Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician with ANZAED | Board Approved Supervisor Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Frankston Mount Waverley Online English 6-8 years old 9-12 years old 13-17 years old 18-25 years old 25+ years old Counselling: $300 per hour Assessment: $465 per hour Supervision: $210 per hour
Melissa is dedicated to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of young people and adults. She uses therapeutic approaches including CBT (including CBT-E and ERP), ACT, DBT, and mindfulness. Melissa has specific interests in the treatment of anxiety and mood conditions, phobias, obsessive compulsive and related conditions, and body image concerns. Further, Melissa is experienced in conducting neurodevelopmental, cognitive, educational/learning, and mood assessments.
Melissa completed a Master of Psychology (Educational and Developmental) at Monash University and is a Member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi) and Australian Educational and Developmental Psychology Association (AEDPA). Melissa is committed to empowering clients to work towards living a rich, full, and meaningful life.
Rachelle Fries (she/her)
Psychologist | Educational and Developmental Registrar Friday Mount Waverley Online English 6-8 years old 9-12 years old 13-17 years old 18-25 years old 25+ years old Counselling: $285 per hour Assessment: $455 per hour
Rachelle enjoys working with people across the lifespan to reach a greater sense of wellbeing. She adopts a collaborative approach that is warm, person-centred, and goal oriented in counselling and assessment. She has experience in multiple settings including schools and private practice.
Rachelle has a special interest in work with women, girls, and international students. Her passion for research and teaching led her to undertake a PhD in applied ethics at Monash University. This research focuses on ethical decision-making in therapeutic work with young people particularly those who may be considered mature minors. She expects to complete the PhD in 2024. Rachelle accepts a variety of referrals including developmental assessment (e.g., Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), psychoeducational assessment (e.g., cognitive assessment, Specific Learning Disorders), and counselling (e.g., anxiety, depression, self-esteem, executive functioning, career, relationships).
Rhoda Lai (she/her)
Psychologist Wednesday Thursday Frankston Online English 9-12 years old 13-17 years old 18-25 years old 25+ years old Counselling: $255 per hour Assessment: $395 per hour
Rhoda has a passion for supporting people across the lifespan in navigating and growing from life's many transitions and challenges by using their strengths and fostering their resilience. She has experience working in schools and enjoys collaborating with teachers and families to support young people's wellbeing and learning.
Rhoda believes that building strong relationships is an important foundation to working with individuals in all capacities, and in the importance of caring for the helpers too. This has led her to pursue a PhD exploring the impact of positive teacher-student relationships on teachers.
Samantha Tsang (she/her)
Psychologist | Educational and Developmental Registrar Thursday Friday Frankston Mount Waverley Online English Cantonese Mandarin 6-8 years old 9-12 years old 13-17 years old Counselling: $255 per hour Assessment: $395 per hour
Sam is a psychologist who is passionate about supporting autistic, ADHD, and other neurodivergent children and their families. She takes time to understand each young person's strengths and experiences, and works alongside them to build meaningful and achievable supports. Sam brings a collaborative, neuro-affirming, and strengths-based approach to her work, partnering closely with families and school teams. She believes children thrive when the support system around them recognise their strengths and work together to create environments that truly support them. She also enjoys helping families create environments where young people can grow in confidence and self-understanding.
Sam completed her Master of Psychology (Educational and Developmental) at the University of Melbourne. She is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. She values culturally responsive care and aims to create sessions that feel safe and empowering. Outside of work, she enjoys playing tennis and board games.
Sean Redpath Diggle
Psychologist Monday Tuesday Mount Waverley Online English 6-8 years old 9-12 years old 13-17 years old 18-25 years old Counselling: $255 per hour Assessment: $395 per hour
Sean is a person-centered psychologist who works with children and young people, especially those with autism and ADHD. Sean is genuinely interested in each young person’s unique interests and experiences and focuses on understanding what matters most to them.
Sean also works closely with parents, supporting families as a whole to create a positive and understanding environment where young people can feel heard and supported.
Sophie Erczmann (she/her)
Clinical Psychologist | Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician with ANZAED Saturday Mount Waverley Online English 6-8 years old 9-12 years old 13-17 years old 18-25 years old 25+ years old Counselling: $270 per hour
Sophie loves to support adolescents and adults facing anxiety, depression, perfectionism, and eating disorders. She also developed and facilitates the Intentional Gaming group program, designed for those experiencing negative impacts from excessive gaming and motivated to gain more control over their habits. Sophie has a warm, caring, and collaborative approach, with a focus on empowering individuals to engage meaningfully with themselves, others, and the world around them. Her sessions often involve exploring the current difficulty and developing a deeper understanding of themselves, practicing helpful strategies, and setting tasks to incorporate learnings into everyday life.
Sophie uses evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-E), and mindfulness-based approaches. She has a Masters in Psychology (Clinical), is an ANZAED Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician, and has researched the influence of nature on psychological well-being. Outside of her work, Sophie enjoys day trips in nature, board game nights with friends, and getting lost in a good book.
Tasma Dunn (she/her)
Psychologist | Educational and Developmental Registrar Tuesday Friday Saturday Frankston Mount Waverley Online English 0-5 years old 6-8 years old 9-12 years old 13-17 years old Counselling: $255 per hour Assessment: $395 per hour
Tasma enjoys working with young people and their families in a collaborative manner to help to facilitate understanding, growth, and skill building. She strives to create a trauma-informed and neuroaffirming space so that children and their families feel safe, valued, and heard. Tasma is particularly interested in working with families and schools to foster understanding of children’s unique strengths.
Tasma has completed a Masters of Educational and Developmental Psychology degree at Monash University. Tasma has experience working in schools and in private practice and has supported children and their families experiencing a range of challenges such as anxiety, depression, emotion regulation, and self-esteem. She uses evidence based therapies such as CBT, ACT and mindfulness tailored to each individual and family. Ross Greene’s philosophy of ‘kids do well if they can’ underpins much of Tasma’s approach and she believes working together can help to identify and remove barriers to enable young people and their families to work more effectively towards their goals.
Wren Jablonka (they/them)
Registered Counsellor, Level 2 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Frankston Mount Waverley Online English 13-17 years old 18-25 years old 25+ years old Counselling: $160 per hour
Wren loves working with adolescents and young adults to both identify strengths and overcome challenges. With adolescents, Wren strives to create a safe space that promotes autonomy and empowerment, allowing for exploration and growth. Some specific areas Wren is passionate about include anxiety, mood, LGBTQIA+ clients, and neurodiversity.
Wren has completed a Masters of Counselling at Monash University and is registered with the Australian Counselling Association as a Level 2 counsellor. They employ evidence-based techniques and interventions from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution-focused Therapy, and a person-centred approach.





