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Hi, I'm Sarah

I help athletes move past self-doubt and emotional blocks...

...to rebuild self-belief and perform with freedom again!

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Photo of Sarah Knapp

Working with athletes

​​I left the NHS to train as a Sport and Exercise Psychologist. I soon found opportunities to work directly with athletes. From women’s football to youth talent pathways. Each environment challenged me, taught me, and strengthened my approach.

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I also realised how unhelpful a lot of common performance advice is. “Be confident.” “Don’t overthink.” “Stay calm.” It’s unrealistic, and it can leave athletes feeling worse. I committed to doing things differently, by bringing evidence-based psychology into sport in a practical, compassionate way.​

Real Impact

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I’ve helped teams achieve County Cup wins and league success and I’ve worked with individuals to smash their PBs and excel in academy trials. But the real impact is in the confidence and clarity athletes gain when they finally understand what’s been holding them back.

 

Now, I help athletes who feel overwhelmed by their emotions when it matters most. Those who lose confidence, doubt their ability, or struggle to perform the way they train. My role is to help them build a personal psychology toolkit so they can perform with greater confidence, purpose and freedom.

About Me

Psychology background

I began my career in the NHS, following the traditional clinical psychology route. I had the training and the expertise, but over time I realised I wasn’t fulfilled. I wanted to use psychology proactively - to help people build skills that genuinely move them forward.

 

In 2019, I recognised that despite all my knowledge, I wasn’t doing work that lit me up. That’s when I felt pulled toward sport, where emotions, performance and identity all combine. So I shifted direction.

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Sarah on her bike

Meet Sarah

Have a question? Take a look at my FAQs 

Qualifications

Image of Sarah delivering a workshop to tennis players

BSc. (Hons) Psychology, Loughborough University

MSc. Sport & Exercise Psychology, Staffordshire University

Level 3 Counselling skills

Certificate in Single Session Therapy

Introduction to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Advanced ACT skills for Sport Psychologists

Certificate in ACT for worrying, obsessing and ruminating

*Currently undertaking Stage 2 supervised practice with the British Psychological Society (BPS)

Sarah in her role as a sports psychologist
Sarah when she was a sport psychologist for Northampton Town Football Club

In  partnership with:

Wootton Road Runners logo
Northamptonshire Sport logo
CEL sports logo
Tom Flowers Cricket Coaching logo
Fundamental fitness logo
University of Northampton logo
NTFC Community logo
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