Person at the starting line for a race

Master of Human Kinetics with Concentration Mental Performance Consulting

Why choose mental performance consulting?

Help people strengthen their mental performance and well-being

Mental performance consultants empower individuals and teams to thrive under pressure, sharpen their focus and perform at their best — whether in sport, health, business, the performing arts or the military. As a mental performance consultant, you’ll work at the intersection of psychology, education and human potential to support performance and well-being across diverse populations.

Prepare for a career as a certified professional in a growing field

The University of Ottawa’s MHK with concentration in Mental Performance Consulting is Canada’s only applied graduate program in sport psychology that’s designed to prepare students to become a Certified Mental Performance Consultant® (CMPC). This gold-standard program equips you with the education, supervision and hands-on experience you need to pursue professional certification and practise at the highest level.

Please note: While this program prepares you for CMPC certification, the certification process is administered externally by the Canadian Sport Psychology Association and includes additional eligibility requirements.

Poppy DesClouds

“The MHK was essential in developing my core professional competencies to become a successful practitioner.”

Poppy DesClouds

— PhD(c), mental performance consultant (MPC)

What to expect

  • Coursework and preparation for certification: Build your foundation with a structured set of courses in counselling, ethics, research methods, intervention design and cultural competency. The program structure has recently been updated to align with the latest CMPC certification standards.
  • Supervised internship: Complete a 400-hour supervised internship with an approved mentor in applied mental performance consulting. Placement opportunities include working with sports teams; serving at hospitals like the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO); or consulting with artists, students and military professionals.
  • Program duration and flexibility: The program runs over 20 consecutive months, divided into 5 academic terms. The length of the program allows you to complete additional courses or supervision hours beyond the core curriculum to help you reach CMPC eligibility.
  • Expert faculty support: Learn from researchers and practitioners who are certified consultants and leaders in sport and performance psychology. Benefit from small class sizes and personalized mentorship throughout the program.
     
three photos: 1. two women talking in sports clothes, 2. man underwater training. 3. man in sports clothes looking up
Certified Mental Performance Consultant ® (CMPC)
Maximize your mental game with a Certified Mental Performance Consultant® (CMPC)

Key subjects covered

Man and woman in a meeting, woman in business suit smiling

Counselling and communication

  • Counselling theories and skills for building rapport and effective helping relationships
  • Applied research methods to bridge science and practice
  • Ethics and values to guide reflective and responsible consulting
Man and woman talking together in a weight room, man has clipboard

Core consulting skills

  • Tools and programs for mental skills training to support focus, confidence and goal-setting
  • Internship analysis and integration for applied learning consolidation
  • Enhancement of consulting interventions through supervision, peer review and feedback
woman in wheelchair liftin weights above her head

Equity and inclusion

  • Cultural competence and social justice knowledge to be equipped with foundational principles for inclusive practice
  • Diversity-aware consulting approaches to better serve people from all backgrounds
  • Inclusive communication strategies to foster trust, respect and belonging in one-on-one and group consultations

Where practice meets performance

cmpc logo

All students complete a 400-hour internship under the supervision of a mentor approved by the CMPC Certification Council. These placements offer you hands-on consulting experience in real-world environments, such as:

  • national and provincial sport organizations
  • university varsity teams and coaches
  • rehabilitation and hospital settings
  • military units, arts organizations and corporate teams

You’ll apply mental skills training in diverse, high-performance contexts — gaining confidence, credibility and clarity about your future as a professional consultant.

This program has been developed and is run by experienced Mental performance consultants who have raised industry standards through their own private practices and the key roles they play in the following organizations:

Important information

The CMPC process is separate from the School of Human Kinetics and you must complete it on your own after graduating. The school can’t guarantee you’ll be certified, because:

  • The MHK program alone doesn’t meet all CMPC certification requirements.
  • Eligibility depends on your postsecondary degree(s) and number of supervised hours at the master’s level.
  • CMPC certification requirements can change at any time.
  • Applicants must also pass an exam.

Learn more about CMPC certification

View the detailed revisions to the MHK program.

For more information about the MHK program revisions, send us an email.

Career pathways

Woman and man talking on a stairway with a basketball court in the background
  • Private and applied practice: Work in private practice or collaborate with sport organizations, schools or performance groups to deliver workshops, one-on-one consulting or long-term performance planning.
  • Mental performance in diverse sectors: Bring your expertise to the military, corporate leadership, health care or the performing arts. Graduates are well prepared for careers that value focus, mindset, resilience and human development.
  • Academic and teaching careers: Pursue further graduate studies or take on teaching and mentorship roles within kinesiology, psychology or performance-focused programs.

Take the next step

Start your journey with the essential information and resources to help you plan your academic path and achieve your goals.