MY APPROACH
The Cohere Model
Over the years, I noticed that most performance struggles weren’t caused by a lack of effort, belief or confidence, they happened when different parts of an athlete’s system pulled in different directions.
That observation led me to develop the Cohere Model, a performance framework that helps align:
how an athlete interprets the moment
how their language was shaped
how their body responds
and how they act under pressure
Rather than treating mindset, regulation, or behavior as separate skills, this model views mental performance as a system. Under pressure, the brain doesn’t reason its way to better performance, it defaults to learned patterns. Those patterns include how a moment is interpreted, how the nervous system reacts, and what behavior follows.
When those patterns are misaligned, internal conflict increases and execution breaks down.
While not every client works through the Cohere Model step-by-step, much of my work is shaped by these principles, helping athletes build alignment so performance holds up when it matters most.
Approach 1: Pattern Awareness
I use evidence-based tools (including CBT skills) to help athletes identify the patterns that show up under pressure, thought loops, emotional spikes, avoidance behaviors, perfectionistic standards, and the “one mistake = I’m failing” story.
But we don’t stop at insight. Awareness is the starting line, not the finish line. The goal is to catch the pattern early, before it hijacks your training, confidence, or joy and build a response that actually holds up in real competition.
Approach 2: Nervous System First (Regulation + body-based performance)
Most performance breakdowns aren’t a motivation problem, they’re a state problem. When the nervous system shifts into threat mode, the body tightens, breathing changes, vision narrows, timing gets rushed, and the mind starts scanning for danger.
That’s why my approach is body-first when needed. We build a regulation plan you can use in the moment:
before competition (pre-performance settling)
during pressure moments (downshift + reset)
after mistakes (recovery protocol)
outside sport (sleep, recovery, baseline stability)
The goal isn’t to feel perfectly calm. The goal is to stay functional, grounded, and able to execute even when stress shows up.
It is not about eliminating pressure, emotions, or challenge but building the ability to embrace it.
Approach 3: Action-Based Performance Change
I’m less interested in helping you “get rid of” anxiety and more interested in helping you stop negotiating with it. This part of my work is ACT-informed and action-based: we learn how to notice thoughts without getting pulled into them, and then take the next effective action anyway.
Instead of “How do I feel?” the question becomes:
“What does this moment require?”
We build a clear plan for focus, decision-making, and competitive behavior, so you can show up aligned with your values (aggressive, composed, resilient, present) even when your mind is loud.
Awareness and regulation only matter if they translate into action.
@TheAthlete_Mind.
