Sport and Exercise Psychology - The Performance Psychologist

Hi. I’m Natacha.

I’m a half-British, half-French Sport and Exercise Psychologist in Training with BASES, currently based in Fulham, London.

I initially came into sport psychology through a passion for endurance and adventure sport, and a real interest in helping people get the most out of themselves.

My Approach

My background in language tutoring and coaching has given me experience building strong interpersonal relationships with all age groups, from young children to adults. In my sessions, I generally use an ACT (Acceptance Commitment Training) approach, which focuses on targeting unhelpful thought-patterns and teaching practical tools to improve mental skills. Finally, sessions are client-centred and always highly individualised.

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Natacha Lazareff bouldering, showing sport and exercise psychology in action

My Sport and Exercise Psychology journey

Pushing my limits through sport and adventure has always been part of my identity. I first took an interest in exercise psychology, after discovering the power of sport in improving my mental health. My introduction to sport psychology came through the high-pressure environment of horse-riding at national level. More recently, a turn towards adventure and endurance sport has exposed me to different aspects of sport psychology, such as resilience, fear-management and risk-taking.

“Whether it’s kayaking 600km down the Ganges in India, racing through the Mongolian steppe on wild horses or crossing the line in an Ironman triathlon, my personal interests follow a similar pattern to my career: prioritising challenge, discovery, and passion.”

Qualifications

MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology, Leeds Beckett University
MSC Psychology (Conversion), University of Reading
Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills, New City College
Up-to-date Enhanced DBS check
Exploring sport coaching and psychology, The Open University
Supporting female performance in sport and fitness, The Open University
Safeguarding for All, FA
Clean Sport Course, UKAD

Sports Experience

Triathlon (short & long distances, Ironman, Extreme races, multi-day events)
Horse-riding (eventing, dressage, show-jumping, hunter, endurance, side-saddle)
Running (short & long distances, trail & road, extreme environments)
Swimming (open water and indoor)
Cycling (long distance, road & gravel, bikepacking)
Boccia (with Cerebral Palsy athletes)
Netball
Racquet sports (tennis, real tennis, racquets, squash, padel)
Climbing (bouldering, trad, sport)
Mountaineering & winter climbing
Downhill skiing, ski touring

We want to hear from you

If your sport does not appear above, please contact us anyway. We are open to working with athletes at all levels, in any sport. Although some psychological skills may be more helpful in a certain sport/ domain, our initial needs assessment is highly individualised. It will certainly highlight which issues you may be facing and the skills YOU need to focus on.