At Mind Matter Performance, we believe a strong mindset is the key to success. Our team helps athletes and teams stay motivated, focused, and confident, so they can perform their best when it matters most. We’re here to guide you every step of the way, turning challenges into opportunities and goals into achievements.
Chartered Sport & Exercise Psychologist | HCPC Registered
From a timid five-year-old – the youngest and most nervous on the track – running beside her father, a national champion, to now supporting athletes across some of the world’s most elite clubs and academies, Gayatri’s journey has come full circle.
What began as a young athlete quietly crumbling under the weight of expectations became a lifelong pursuit of answers and advocacy. Today, Gayatri Bhushan is a Chartered Sport & Exercise Psychologist, HCPC-Registered, with global experience that includes working with Premier League giants Chelsea FC and Brentford FC, as well as academy athletes from Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, and West Ham. She also serves on the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Committee at the Chartered Association for Sport and Exercise Sciences (CASES), championing safer, more ethical, and inclusive environments in sport.
A Mission Born from Lived Experience
As a national-level middle-distance runner, Gayatri experienced both the exhilarating highs of victory and the isolating, silent lows of anxiety and burnout. With over 300 competitive races under her belt, she often struggled with unexplained physical symptoms, performance blocks, and the pressure of expectations – all in silence.
Despite the support of nurturing parents, no coach or doctor could explain what she was going through. At just 12 years old, her family sought Sport Psychology support in India – only to discover a field still nascent, unregulated, and lacking accountability. There was no one equipped to help.
Eventually, she stepped away from the sport she loved. But not from the mission it awakened:
“No young athlete should ever have to give up on their dream because they didn’t get the support they needed.”
That conviction became her calling.
Grounded in Science. Guided by Purpose.
Determined to bring scientific rigor to athlete care, Gayatri earned her MSc in Sport & Exercise Psychology from Loughborough University in the UK. She became a Chartered Sport Psychologist, HCPC-Registered, and CASES-accredited – building a practice that blends academic excellence, lived experience, and human-first support.
Her work now spans athletes in football, tennis, swimming, cricket, squash, shooting, athletics, esports, and more – from grassroots to international level. She also supports high-performing founders, business leaders, artists, and professionals in high-stakes environments. Her ethos is simple: support the athlete and the human underneath.
Why She Founded Mind Matter Performance
Gayatri founded Mind Matter Performance to build the system of care she once needed – a high-performance Sport Psychology consultancy rooted in science, compassion, and experience. It exists for the young athletes told to “just toughen up.” For the ones who shake before every race. For the countless who fall through the cracks of an under-resourced system.
Mind Matter Performance is that promise – brought to life:
A place where athletes are seen, heard, and supported.
Because the next generation deserves better – and we’re here to deliver on that promise.
Certifications & Affiliations
- Chartered Sport & Exercise Psychologist – Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registered
- Accredited by the Chartered Association for Sport and Exercise Sciences (CASES)
- Member, CASES Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Committee
- MSc in Sport & Exercise Psychology – Loughborough University
- L2 Award in Effective Mentoring Skills – City & Guilds
- Introduction to First Aid in Football (IFAiF) – The Football Association
- Safeguarding Children – The Football Association
- Mental Health First Aider – MHFA England
- Mental Health Aware – MHFA England
My journey began on the football pitch.
From the grounds of India to the stadiums of Europe, football was more than just a sport – it was my language, my passion, and my purpose. I was fortunate to play at the national level in India, train alongside the youth academy at FC Metz in France, and later play in England for Loughborough University, one of the top sporting institutions in the world. My career took me across Europe and the United States, both as a player and as a professional working in sport.
But somewhere along the way, one truth became clear: Indian athletes have the talent – what they often lack is access. Access to the right systems, to high-performance environments, to support, that nurtures both body and mind.
That’s where my mission was born.
I’ve seen first-hand what world-class sport looks like. And I’ve also seen how many Indian athletes are forced to fall short of their potential because the ecosystem around them isn’t built to help them thrive.
Mind Matter Performance is my way of changing that.
We’re building something India has long needed – a firm that brings together the science of elite performance with the support of experienced professionals, to help Indian athletes not just compete, but dominate on the global stage.
Because talent deserves the world – and we’re here to help you claim it
Certifications & Affiliations
- UEFA B Licensed Football Coach
- Talent & Opposition Analysis Level 2 –
- Professional Football Scouts Association (PFSA)
- FA Level 1 Futsal – The Football Association (England)
- BSc in Sport Business & Management – Loughborough University
Foundation Of Our Expertise
