Paula Dennan

SPA Director, Auckland and Online
027 2821940

Background

Paula Dennan works as a Registered Clinical Psychologist with over 25 years of clinical experience.   Her career began in Child, Family and Adult Community Mental Health before establishing a Private Practice Consultancy where she developed her specialties including Sport Psychology. 

Paula has been working in the area of Sport Psychology since 2000, consulting for NZ Academy of Sport, then High Performance Sport NZ and she is now a director of Sport Psychology Associates (SPA).  She enjoys working with a wide range of athletes, at developmental to elite levels, assisting them to achieve their goals.  She recognizes the uniqueness that each individual brings and works collaboratively with them to improve their sporting performance and personal wellbeing.  This may include using mental skills training and clinical psychology approaches to support athletes through the various stages and challenges of their career.  She has had the privilege of working with a range of both individual and teams sports including Hockey, Rugby, Cricket, Gymnastics, Cycling, Triathlon, Soccer, Swimming, Surf Life Saving and Sailing.  Paula is a specialist provider for both carded and non-carded athletes, coaches and associated sports professionals. She provides services for NZCPA (NZ Cricket Players Association) and consults for other sporting organizations directly or through referral from doctors/professionals who specialize in Sports Medicine. 

Paula is a member of AASP (Association for Applied Sport Psychology) and APA (American Psychological Association)

Dr Ian Lambie has been instrumental in moving a generation of Auckland and Auckland Aces players forward from a mental skills component over a 10 year plus period of time. Individually and as a collective group including out internationals.

A comment from Sir Richard Hadlee – “at this level it is 80% mental”