SUMMON YOUR INNER STRENGTH
BE GREATER THAN...
CHANNEL YOUR MINDSET
BE GREATER THAN
FIND YOUR MARGINS
BE GREATER THAN
EXECUTE YOUR VISIONS
BE GREATER THAN
REALISE YOUR ASPIRATIONS
BE GREATER THAN
LEARN BALANCE & PERSPECTIVE
BE GREATER THAN
DR. EMMA KAVANAGH
HCPC REGISTERED SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGIST
A HCPC-Registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist and Chartered Sport and Exercise Scientist, Emma is an Associate Professor in Sport Psychology and Safe Sport at Bournemouth University. Emma has extensive experience working in high-performance environments, helping teams and individuals unlock their potential and thrive.
"Physical dominance can make you great. Mental dominance is what ultimately makes you unstoppable."
WORK WITH EMMA
Emma is passionate about the delivery of performance psychology and believes in the creation of optimal learning climates that allow individuals the opportunity to understand and capitalise upon their personal strengths, embrace pressure and develop resilience.
Emma blends cutting-edge research with real-world expertise to enable people to unlock their full potential and challenge their own performance boundaries while prioritising their mental health and wellbeing.
ORGANISATIONAL SUPPORT
An experienced consultant, Emma has worked with elite performers in a variety of team and individual sports environments, preparing individuals and teams for and being part of teams at major sporting events including Olympic and Paralympic Competitions, Commonwealth Games, Grand Slam, World and European Championships.
Emma is the lead psychologist for Team England ahead of Glasgow 2026, and also provides independent psychological support to Roses and Super League Netballers through the Netball Players Association.
KEYNOTES, PRESENTATIONS, SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS
Beyond elite sport, Emma is trusted by high-performance leaders in business, elite coaches, and executives looking to support their journeys often navigating pressure-driven environments and relationships.
Emma can deliver bespoke one-to-one coaching, team-based interventions, and tailored educational workshops, ensuring every client receives practical, evidence-based strategies that drive growth, performance, and well-being.
The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss It. But that our aim is too low and we hit it.
EMMA'S RESEARCH
Emma is internationally renowned for her research in safe sport, and known for her work surrounding safer spaces, relationships and cultures for all in sport. Emma's work centres on critically examining abuse in online and face-to-face environments, understanding the duty of care and enhancing safeguarding in sporting spaces.
Emma is part of a number of research networks which have a clear vision to enhance the climate and environment in which high-performance athletes’ function, evidenced through a number of her national and international group memberships. She is an invited member of the IOC clean esports working group, a member of the BASES integrity advisory group responsible for education and innovations in integrity in the sport and exercise sciences and an invited expert member of the Research Chair in Security and Integrity in Sport at Laval University, Quebec, Canada.
Emma's research impact has been recognised through her being one of 15 leading international experts selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to draft recent IOC Consensus Statement on Interpersonal Violence and Safeguarding in Sport (2025)
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Read first hand accounts of some of Dr Emma Kavanagh's amazing success coaching successful athletes and leaders around the world.
"Find balance, find connection, understand your why. Understanding ourselves is the key to unlocking our potential."
My work with Emma has always had a hugely positive impact on my mental preparation and ability to pursue my goals of winning medals at the Paralympics. Throughout my career Emma has been there for me, helped me to reset, to refocus and always remember the 'Why'.
LUCY SHUKER
MULTIPLE PARALYMPIC MEDALLIST
Dr Kavanagh is internationally recognised as consistently producing work at the highest standards of excellence. I have personally invited her to lead activities on the WISH pathway since 2019 due to her outstanding research, professional practice, and educational delivery style. (Professor Elizabeth Pike, WISH)
WISH
WOMEN IN SPORT HIGH PERFORMANCE PATHWAY
Emma has helped to shape our team philosophy for Glasgow 2026, supporting us in striving to create a high performance environment where every team member can thrive and feel supported when it matters most. Emma is a joy to work with, and the energy, authenticity, and experience she brings to our delivery team has contributed to creating a sense of belonging for team members as well as celebrate our achievements as a team in a constantly changing environment.
TEAM ENGLAND
COMMONWEALTH GAMES
Dr. Emma Kavanagh was an incredible support to me leading into the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and I am really enjoying our continued work together.
IZZY SONGHURST
GB TRAMPOLINIST
Working with Dr. Emma Kavanagh has had, in my eyes, the biggest positive impact on my game. Improving the mental side of my game has helped me to take it to the next level; all steps towards the goal of a major games medal one day. Kav is simply the one that makes good great in my opinion.
ISSA BARTRANE
ENGLAND BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Emma was been a huge support in the formation of the Netball Players Association, helping us to develop the welfare offer for our members. Emma continues to be a key delivered in our provision, her personal style and knowledge of the performance athlete experience means that she is ideally placed to provide support to our members (Liz Bloor, NPA Director).
THE NPA
PLAYER WELFARE
Before meeting Emma, I was very skeptical about Sports Psychology. She made me understand my game, my thought processes and made me conscious of those parts of my game that had been subconscious and detrimental. This was most beneficial in the lead up to and during the commonwealth games. I couldn't recommend her enough.
JESS GRIMSON
ENGLAND BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Ensuring that we were totally prepared for this ultra endurance challenge was essential. Emma's continued support even at sea was integral to our preparation and the completion of the challenge.
ATLANTIC CALLING
GREATEST ROWING CHALLENGE
Emma helped me to see how to think about what I was feeling more positively and gave me the tools to be more effective at improving. The year that we worked together has a profound and lasting effect on my whole life, not just my riding. I recently came 2nd in an international MTB race and Emma had a large part to play in this accomplishment.
DOM MEACHER
MOUNTAIN BIKER
Dr Emma Kavanagh is the performance psychologist we recommend for all our drivers and karters. We have seen very positive results from her work and would strongly recommend her as a practitioner (Jon Malvern, Driver Manager Lando Norris, F1 Mclaren Driver)
ELITE DRIVERS
PIONEERED ATHLETE PERFORMANCE
Emma is an outstanding facilitator and presenter and makes all of our WSLA graduates feel so comfortable in such a short space of time. The work she does is central to the WSLA's overall success - what a coach!
WOMEN' SPORTS LEADERSHIP
INTERNATIONAL NETWORK
We were fortunate to have Dr. Emma Kavanagh join Team Gregory • Sheaf in 2014. Working with Dr. Kavanagh opened up new dimensions to our game and team dynamic that we never knew we had.