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Coaching Female Athletes: What Works, What Matters, and Why It’s Different
Coaching female athletes is not about changing your standards—it's about expanding your skillset. While many coaching principles apply...
Leilanie Pakoa
8 hours ago4 min read
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Supporting Positive Body Image in Adolescent Girls: A Guide for Coaches, Parents, and Peers
Adolescence is a critical time for identity formation, physical development, and social belonging. For adolescent girls, it is also a...
Leilanie Pakoa
May 154 min read
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Motherhood and the Modern Female Athlete: Balancing Identity, Opportunity, and Performance
For many elite female athletes, the journey to motherhood intersects with high-performance sport in complicated and confronting ways....
Leilanie Pakoa
May 115 min read
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Understanding the Menstrual Cycle and Female Athletes: What the Research Tells Us
In the world of sport psychology and athletic performance, one important but historically under-researched topic is the menstrual cycle...
Leilanie Pakoa
May 95 min read
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Improve Your Performance Through the Use of Imagery
In the world of sport psychology, imagery—also known as mental rehearsal or visualisation—is recognised as a powerful tool for enhancing...
Leilanie Pakoa
Apr 275 min read
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The Momentum of Mental Skills in Sport: Why They Matter and How to Train Them
Athletes dedicate countless hours perfecting their physical skills—honing their technique, building strength, and increasing endurance....
Leilanie Pakoa
Apr 95 min read
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Mastering Your Inner Dialogue: The Power of Positive Self-Talk for Elite Athletes
As a sport psychologist, I’ve worked with countless athletes striving to reach their peak performance. Among the many psychological...
Leilanie Pakoa
Apr 24 min read
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Talk the Talk: How Strong Team Communication Boosts Performance and Wellbeing
Effective communication is the cornerstone of successful teams, whether in professional workplaces, academic settings, or sports...
Leilanie Pakoa
Mar 274 min read
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Effectively Handling Performance Anxiety Through Relaxation: A Team Perspective
Did you know that your physiological state can directly influence your confidence and performance? For athletes, this connection between...
Leilanie Pakoa
Mar 205 min read
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A Winning Formula: How Coaches Shape Team Dynamics for Success
Team dynamics play a pivotal role in the success of sports teams, influencing performance, cohesion, and overall satisfaction among...
Leilanie Pakoa
Mar 134 min read
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Building an Inclusive Team Culture: Embracing Diversity in Sport
A strong team culture is the foundation of success in sport, influencing performance, cohesion, and athlete wellbeing. While skill and...
Leilanie Pakoa
Mar 64 min read
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Fuelling Feelings: Understanding Emotional Eating in Athletes and Neurodiverse Individuals
Emotional eating, the act of consuming food in response to emotions rather than physical hunger, is a behaviour that has garnered...
Leilanie Pakoa
Feb 275 min read
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The Gut-Brain Connection: How Your Gut Health Impacts Mental Wellbeing
You might not realise it, but your gut plays a huge role in your mental health. The gut-brain connection is real—and understanding it...
Leilanie Pakoa
Feb 184 min read
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Disordered Eating vs. Eating Disorder: What’s the Difference?
In the field of sport psychology , optimising performance often goes hand-in-hand with prioritising mental health and wellbeing . Among...
Leilanie Pakoa
Feb 114 min read
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Understanding RED-S: Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport
As a sport psychologist , my role involves supporting athletes, teams, and individuals to achieve peak performance while maintaining...
Leilanie Pakoa
Feb 24 min read
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Concussion does not equal CTE!
We recently watched a seminar by Dr. Alan Pearce - an Australian neuroscientist on the latest research of concussion and CTE. We went in...
Leilanie Pakoa
Sep 26, 20243 min read
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The Fundamentals of Sport Psychology: 10 Topics You Need to Know
From mental health & wellbeing to team dynamics & the psychology of coaching! Read about 10 topics related to sport and exercise psychology!
Leilanie Pakoa
Apr 11, 20244 min read
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What to expect in a psychology session!
Hi I'm Leilanie and I am an endorsed sport & exercise psychologist. I predominantly work with young people, athletes, teams, neurodiverse...
Leilanie Pakoa
Feb 15, 20242 min read
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Session Note Taking Tips from a Psychologist!
Psychology like many allied health services requires session notes to be organised, secured safely, and retained for 7 years or if a...
Leilanie Pakoa
Jan 19, 20242 min read
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The Three Pillars of Wellbeing.
I have no memory of when or where I first heard this phrase - it was during my final years of study. I ask during every intake,...
Leilanie Pakoa
Aug 3, 20234 min read
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