PEAK MENTAL
PERFORMANCE
COACHING, LLC
A CLINICAL, Educational, and SPORT PsyChology Practice
ABOUT
Peak Mental Performance Coaching, LLC
Peak Mental Performance Coaching, LLC was founded in 2017 by Dr. Matthew Flynn, a clinical psychologist who has extensive experience in the field of clinical psychology. Along with his clinical psychology expertise, Dr. Flynn has developed a sub-specialty in sport and performance psychology. The creation of this performance enhancement mental health practice has been a dream of his 20 years in the making. He strongly believes in his practice motto Confidence in Performance, Confidence for Life, and that any client can learn the mental skills to be hapy and reach their peakperformance whether it be in the classroom, on the field, or life in general.
So what exact services does Peak Mental Performance Coaching, LLC do?
Peak Mental Performance Coaching, LLC specializes in three areas of mental skills performance training: Clinical Psychology, Educational and Test Preparation Coaching, and Sport Psychology.
First, we are a general clinical psychology practice for children, adolescents, and adults. Dr. Flynn's specialties include ADHD, anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, social skills, life transitions, and parenting challenges and family conflict, .
Secondly, through Dr. Flynn's clinical work with clients with learning disabilities, ADHD, and anxiety, he realized many of the same skills can be applied to all students to improve their school confidence and test performance. Anxiety and frustration can build, further derailing performance or leading to family conflicts. In the competitive world we know live success on tests such as the SATs, ACTs, and licensing exams is essential. Clients who struggle in any of these areas can benefit from Educational and Test Preparation Coaching.
Thirdly, taking the interventions and skills from clinical psychology, Dr. Flynn has developed a specialty in sport psychology. He helps athletes of all ages, sports, and skill levels learn the mental toughness skills to reach their peak mental performance. He is also available for parent, coach, team, and program consultations or talks on the facets of sport psychology.
Follow the Services link to learn more about each of these areas in greater depth or New Clients to make a first appointment.
So how do I know if this service is good for me, my child, or my organization?
Everyone can benefit mental training. If you are struggling with anxiety, confidence challenges in any aspect of life, or not reaching your life goals, we can help. For students and athletes the work centers on helping you reach your potential in performance for your level, and teaching the mental skills to work through the blocks holding you back. For organizations or professionals we can teach you the skills to help those around you excel. Our goal is for you to learn to reach your mental peak. As always our motto is Confidence in Performance, Confidence for Life.
Matthew Flynn, Psy.D.
Dr. Matthew Flynn, is a clinical psychologist who has been working in the mental health fields in different capacities for over twenty years. He has a strong passion for his work, and belief that it is the mental skills that a person uses that can lead to confidence and happiness in life. For many, these skills do not come naturally. However, Dr. Flynn believes that with the right support and coaching a person can learn these skills. This is a lesson he has learned throughout his life, and wants to share with others.
Dr. Flynn grew up in CT has been playing sports his whole life. Baseball was his first love, but he also played tennis, basketball, and skied throughout his childhood. When not playing a sport he could be found watching on tv or maybe getting in trouble for playing ball in the house.
Dr. Flynn attended Fairfield Prep for high school where he excelled academically. During his freshmen year of high school he tried out for the baseball team, but anxiety overcame him in tryouts and he did not make the team. That spring during a baseball game in the town league he suffered a significant knee injury. Although physically recovered, mentally his fears of reinjuring his knee were constantly on his mind and impacted his performance. That was the end of baseball.
Despite baseball coming to end, Dr. Flynn refocused his energy and trained over the next year to join his high school tennis team, a daunting task as they were the number one team in CT. Hard work paid off in his Sophomore year as he made the team, playing until graduation. Although hard work paid off, worry about performance continued to be on his mind, hesitant when playing in front of others , particularly his coach.
Although there were a few opportunities to play college tennis, Dr. Flynn chose Boston College and ''retired'' from active play. Free time at Boston College was filled attending every football, basketball, and hockey game. While trying to decide on a major he came across a sport psychology class. Thinking back to his own years playing sports, and the mental challenges he faced, there was an immediate draw. Ironically, Dr. Flynn took intro psych in order to take but it was never offered again during his time at Boston College. At that point it did not matter, he was hooked and had a plan.
Dr. Flynn graduated Boston College in 2000 with a degree in psychology. He began working towards increasing his experiences in the mental health field, holding multiple positions at Franciscans Hospital for Children, as he greatly preferred child work. It is during this work that his love of Clinical Psychology was born.
In 2001 he entered the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (now William James College), graduating in 2007 with his doctorate in clinical psychology. While there he finally was able to take that sport psychology class that eluded him in the past. Dr. Flynn's doctoral research focused on the development of a new psychological assessment tool, modeled after Abraham Maslow's ''Hierarchy of Needs'', but for Dr. Flynn his theory was specific to sports, looking at the mental skills and environmental factors that lead to elite athletic performance. The assessment tool was used with a Division I men's basketball team, showing a lot of promise.
From 2007-2009 Dr. Flynn continued to work at Franciscans Hospital, leaving in 2009 to join Psychological Care Associates, pc in Woburn. Much of his work within this practice has been helping children, adolescents, and young adults manage anxiety, depression, behavioral disruption, and parenting challenges. A new interest in emerged as he began working with many children and teenagers, struggling with learning disabilities, ADHD, or other school challenges, many of whom struggled with confidence in themselves. At the same time, he began seeing athletes privately for performance challenges.
Throughout his Clinical, Educational, and Sport Psychology work, Dr. Flynn noticed many clients struggled to develop the mental skills to stay confident and happy with themselves in life. Abraham Maslow believed that a person reaches optimal functioning and happiness by fulfilling certain needs: physiological, safety, belonging and love, and esteem, which when fulfilled leads to self-actualization - happiness or highest level of potential. Throughout his clinical work and research, Dr. Flynn realized he can use aspects of this theory with all his clients and with that the concept of Peak Mental Performance Coaching, LLC was born, and founded in 2017. Our logo is representative of these five groups of needs that we help our clients learn the mental skills to fulfill. Dr. Flynn has developed a strength based developmental approach to help our clients learn the skills or build the relationships to fulfill these needs and reach their life, educational, or sport performance peak.
Dr. Flynn continues to work and build Peak Mental Performance Coaching, LLC, combining his Sport and Educational specialties with his general clinical psychology work. He continues to live at Boston College sporting events as football team season ticket holder and a partial men's hockey season ticket holder. If he is not working or at a sporting event, Dr. Flynn spends much of his free time with his wife, daughter, and new born son passing on his love of sports and school onto them.