Greg grew up playing multiple sports, but excelled at baseball. Greg had the opportunity to pursue baseball at a high level but injuries caused him to stay in the Edmonton area and pursue his business degree while playing volleyball at NAIT. After his first year, Greg became part of the leadership core on the NAIT men’s varsity team while completing his degree. After completing his degree and working at an accounting firm, Greg began assistant coaching volleyball at the post secondary level, and coaching multiple club volleyball teams. This is where Greg found his calling to work with athletes. He worked thousands of hours at private volleyball clinics and found himself constantly in the gym. Wanting to improve his skills from a performance standpoint, Greg completed a personal fitness diploma to gain more knowledge and better help athletes improve off the court. After coaching multiple provincial volleyball teams, Greg took over the head coaching position at NAIT. During COVID Greg had multiple athletes reach out to him about the negative impacts losing the game, and their team, had on their mental health. Greg wanted to improve his skills yet again to better help his athletes on and off the court, so he completed his Masters in Counselling Psychology, while working with USPORT teams, and multiple clubs and athletes across the city. Greg brings a person-centered approach to his position as he strives to help athletes in, out of, and beyond sport, as well as working with people transitioning from one stage of life to another. When not helping others, Greg enjoys reading about philosophy, competing in a variety of activities, and hitting the gym.

Greg grew up playing multiple sports, but excelled at baseball. Greg had the opportunity to pursu... Read More

Dr. Dustin Marcinkevics was born and raised in Edmonton, where he developed a passion for sports from a young age. In junior high school, he discovered his talent for volleyball and dedicated himself to improving his skills on the court. He played senior-level volleyball from grade seven through grade 12, and was recognized as an Edmonton Journal All-Star in the sport upon graduation.

Dustin continued to pursue his love for volleyball at MacEwan University, where he played on the Griffins volleyball team as a setter. His team achieved remarkable success, winning both the Provincial ACAC and National CCAA championships. He also had the opportunity to travel to western Europe to play against various professional volleyball teams. Dustin’s athletic achievements culminated in receiving the National Athletic Scholar award from the CCAA.

It was during his final year playing volleyball at a collegiate level that Dustin made the decision to pursue an academic career in psychology. He transferred to the University of Alberta, completed a 12-month internship in neuropsychology at Alberta Hospital Edmonton, and graduated with honours in a Bachelor of Science degree with a specialization in psychology. He then continued his academic journey, earning both a Master and Doctorate degrees in Counselling Psychology. His dissertation research focused on problem gambling behaviors among collegiate student-athletes. Although Dustin is no longer directly involved in competitive sports, his extensive experience playing throughout his life and eventually transitioning away from a competitive level has given him valuable insight into the mindset of athletes. These insights inform his practice as a psychologist when working with athletes, enabling him to better understand and address their unique challenges and needs. Dustin’s therapy is flexible, accommodating, and collaborative, grounded in a client-centered and cognitive behavioural perspective. With an integrative approach, he blends various evidence-based strategies to encourage meaningful change.

Dr. Dustin Marcinkevics was born and raised in Edmonton, where he developed a passion for sports ... Read More

Marty was a Canadian kid who grew up in Montreal with dreams of playing in the NHL one day. Ken Dryden was his hockey idol. His dreams to play hockey one day ended early in life because, in all honesty, he played nothing like his hockey hero. His pursuit of academic studies began with a BSc in Psychology followed by a Bachelor’s degree in Education and a Master’s degree in School Psychology. After working as a teacher and school psychologist for several years, he pursued a PhD in Clinical Neuropsychology from the University of Georgia. During this time, his research interests in sports neuropsychology grew, leading to his dissertation investigating cognitive outcomes from sports concussions. Marty helped initiate standardized concussion testing protocols in the Southeast Conference (SEC). Shortly after returning to Canada in 2001, he began consulting with the National Hockey League, the Canadian Football League, and in 2006 joined the University of Alberta. Marty continues in his consultant’s role with the NHL, CFL, and University of Alberta. In his academic work, he has been a co- investigator of multiple research grants totaling approximately 1.5 million dollars, authored over 50 peer reviewed manuscripts and been invited to present at local, national, and international conferences. Marty was the first Canadian to be awarded Fellow Status with the Sports Neuropsychology Society (SNS) for his outstanding contributions to the field of clinical neuropsychology.

Marty was a Canadian kid who grew up in Montreal with dreams of playing in the NHL one day. Ken D... Read More

Kate was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. During her childhood, she played many sports but was most interested in basketball and volleyball. Once being named her high school’s female athlete of the year, she joined The King’s University Volleyball team, where she was a captain, an All-Conference, and named Most Valuable Player of the 2015 season. She was then recruited to play for the MacEwan University Griffins where she was again a captain and an All-Canadian player for the remaining three years of her eligibility. Through sports, Kate honed her skills in leadership, relationship building, and team dynamics. Her curiosity for people naturally led her to pursue an honour’s degree in Bachelor of Science, with a specialization in psychology. While completing her undergraduate degree, Kate began her coaching journey as an assistant coach for Volleyball Alberta.

Kate then began her master’s degree in Counselling Psychology at the University of Alberta in 2019 and at the same time was hired as an assistant coach for Team Canada’s Women’s Sitting Volleyball. Her involvement with the program has contributed to a 4th place finish at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, 2nd place finishes at the 2022 World Championships and at the 2023 World Cup, as well as a qualification for the Paris 2024 Paralympics.

Kate is currently completing her doctoral degree in Counselling Psychology at the University of Alberta with her dissertation focusing on elite athletes in women’s parasport experiences of flourishing. Her extensive experience playing and coaching at an elite level has provided her with deep insight into the mindset of athletes. As a non-disabled Paralympic coach and a counsellor, Kate values encouraging the empowerment of non-disabled and disabled athletes. Kate’s counselling is flexible, collaborative, and grounded in client-centred, and cognitive behavioural approaches. With an integrative approach, she blends various evidence-based strategies to encourage individual growth and create meaningful change.

Kate was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. During her childhood, she played many sports but w... Read More

Originally from Poland, Klaudia completed her Master’s degree in Sport Psychology from the University of Alberta in 2009. She instantly fell in love with the field after taking her first Intro to Sport Psychology course. Klaudia grew up playing soccer, played competitive roller derby for 7 years, and currently participates in lifestyle sports such as surfing and roller-skating. Not long after completing her Master’s she moved to Melbourne Australia to complete a 6-month practicum specializing in individual consulting with a mindfulness focus. Klaudia is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant for the Association of Applied Sport Psychology and has led an integrated mental training program within Athletics at the University of Alberta for the last 6 years. She has experience providing one-on-one consultations and presenting tailored team workshops on topics such as handling pressure, resilience, cultivating confidence, activation control, and performance routines. In her current role she oversees the Well to Win mental health program and provides mentorship to a group of graduate sport psychology students who assist all the Golden Bears & Pandas teams in the area of performance psychology. Klaudia believes that we are more than what we achieve, and explores values, identity, and purpose with the performers that she works with. Klaudia is also a certified dog trainer and competes in agility with her two dogs.

Originally from Poland, Klaudia completed her Master’s degree in Sport Psychology from the Univer... Read More

Richelle grew up in Edmonton, Alberta as a multi-sport athlete. She played softball, volleyball and basketball competitively while snowboarding on her days off. A three-year Metro Edmonton Journal All-Star athlete, Richelle was recruited to play basketball for the Augustana women’s team, where she earned her place as a First Team All-Conference Player, Academic All-Canadian, and the Augustana Athlete of the Year. During her time as an athlete, she became well-versed in athlete injury and setbacks, fracturing her right foot and tearing both of her ACLs before graduating. Due to her extensive injuries, she decided to forgo her fifth year of eligibility and instead complete an undergraduate thesis. She graduated from Augustana in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Biology and Criminology. After undergrad, she became a licensed skydiver, travelled around the world, and worked in the Oil and Gas field. Two years later, Richelle applied for graduate school in 2018, which led her to become a PhD Candidate at the University of Alberta in the School and Clinical Child/Adolescent Psychology program. Her primary academic and professional focus is on traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and neuropsychology, focusing on assessment, intervention, and consultation.

Richelle grew up in Edmonton, Alberta as a multi-sport athlete. She played softball, volleyball a... Read More