Kathryn Lumby BSc MSc MSc

I am a trainee sport psychologist on stage 2 of the BASES SEPAR accreditation pathway. I am also a passionate rock climber and coach. I worked for the UK government for 10 years in conflict and crisis response policy and strategy, which I left to retrain as a climbing coach and sport psychologist.

I started my work for the government as a social psychological researcher and consultant and believe in the application of psychological principles to solve many of the world’s problems. I twice worked in Afghanistan, advising both the British military and latterly, the Afghan government.

As a trainee sport psychologist, I have worked with Surfing England to provide pre-competition sport psychology support to their national adaptive surfers. I have also worked with many climbers on a 1-2-1 basis and provided workshops to both recreational climbers and climbing coaches. I have worked with many under 18s within the climbing community and am particularly enthusiastic about supporting girls to reach their potential.

I have an academic background in both social and sport psychology and have conducted research into how climbers experience fear and how this can be managed. My interests include research and application of theory to coping under pressure (particularly choking) and managing fear and anxiety in sport, as well as exploring different theoretical frameworks including ACT and REBT.