I came to sport psychology later in life after my first career as an RAF Officer. A love of learning took me on a journey through a second MSc, a PhD, and a professional practice qualification. Fast forward fifteen years and I am now a Senior Lecturer in Sport & Exercise Psychology and a Chartered Sport Psychologist working with athletes from individual sports across all levels of sport.
I truly believe that sport psychology is one of those subjects where we can make a real difference not only to athletes’ performance but also to the quality of their lives in respect of mental wellbeing. My philosophy is that for me to achieve this, I need to be an all-rounder: research informs both my reaching and my practice and vice versa. I hope that students and athletes I work with benefit from that multifaceted approach to the subject.
Karen Howells PhD, CPsychol, SFHEAR
Senior Lecturer in Sport Psychology