Unlock Your Potential
Meet Louis
I am Louis Ross, a Sport Psychologist based in Bristol, England. My work consists of a blend of virtual work as well as face to face work, mainly across the South-West of England. My own sporting background is in football, whilst also playing tennis, cricket, golf, and, more recently, padel tennis!
In the past, I have worked heavily in academy football, and I currently work for Somerset County Cricket Club across the boys and girls academy pathway, at Bristol Bears in their academy and Women's First Team, in Private School Settings embedded in football programmes and with high-performing student-athletes as well as working with Sim Racing Drivers at Williams Sim Racing. My work has also seen me work closely with coaches on a regular basis delivering workshops to help them perform better and to provide a different perspective when supporting their athletes. The same is true for my work with parents of athletes.
My experiences to date have seen me work at all levels of sport, from grassroots athletes all the way up to people performing at international and world level, across 20+ different sports, from the mainstream sports to the extremely niche ones. Away from sport, I also work with teams and individuals in corporate settings, applying sport and performance psychology principles to their contexts.
Louis' Journey to Accreditation
From early interest in sport psychology to formal accreditation, Louis' path reflects dedication, learning, and a deep commitment to his clients' growth.
Here's a glimpse into the milestones that shaped his practice.
Each step along the way has contributed to my continued development and I am always searching for new ways to better my practice.
I am a HCPC registered Sport Psychologist. The road to becoming an accredited Sport Psychologist is a long one, and the journey so far has required a BSc in Psychology, an MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology, a conversion course due to my BSc being undertaken in America & then 3 years of applied training (SEPAR) before I could gain full accreditation as a Sport Psychologist. I'm telling you this because I think it's important to know the training and journey of the psychologist that you're working with.
My approach
The importance of connection
I place a lot of value on the client-practitioner relationship and believe that with a solid understanding and foundation I can help client's thrive rather than just survive.
Committed
By working with me you will get someone who is committed, honest, and someone who will both challenge and support you when the time is right. I was told that a Sport Psychologist's role is to make themselves redundant i.e. I want to equip a client with the tools to cope and flourish so that they can get to a point where they don't need me anymore.
Humanistic
My preferred way of working aligns with a humanistic, person-centred approach. I often opt for a Mindfulness and Acceptance based approach, I work with a lot of client's who struggle as they are trying to "get rid" of unwanted or uncomfortable thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and emotions whereas I see impact coming through the willingness to accept and open up to what we are experiencing internally and externally rather trying to avoid them; this is often the first step towards being able to commit to meaningful action despite feeling nervous or worried for example.
Practical
Whether it's a group or solo session, I want the client(s) to leave with practical ways to apply what we have been speaking about which may often be an extension of the interactive tasks that we work on during a session. I see how the technical, tactical, and physical can go away and be trained and I encourage clients to practice embedding these 'mental skills' when/where possible so that ultimately they do not need me any more!
Why this is important
This is important because I want to ensure that clients feel safe and valued throughout our work and that they are encouraged to think more flexibly and leave a session or period of work with a clear idea of how they can cope on their own. I believe that my approach allows me to bring an individual or team closer to where they'd like to be, and that they are left feeling more connected to what is important to them, whatever that may be.
This was the most engaging and impressive session I have been involved with.” “Louis made it relevant without encouraging us to step outside our scope.