Rob DiBernardo is a Mental Performance Coach, counselor-in-training, and leader dedicated to optimizing performance, fostering resilience, and supporting behavior change. As the Coordinator of the Mental Performance Department for the Toronto Blue Jays, Rob is entering his seventh season (fourth as department head) leading a team of five coaches, cultivating a high-performance culture rooted in care, challenge, and intentional growth.

Alongside his work in professional sports, Rob is expanding his expertise as a counselor-in-training at a private mental health practice. In this dual role, he applies his knowledge of performance psychology and clinical counseling to address mental health challenges, promote personal growth, and support individuals both on and off the field. This integration of mental performance and clinical counseling enhances his ability to help people thrive across all aspects of their lives.

With over a decade of NCAA coaching experience and a doctorate from Boston University, where he conducted grant-funded research on mindfulness and performance, Rob brings a unique perspective to his work. A Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC), he integrates evidence-based techniques such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness, and Motivational Interviewing to help individuals self-regulate, align their actions with their values, and perform at their best in high-pressure situations.

Rob is excited and grateful to be joining the Mind Body Endurance team for his Practicum, where he will work under the mentorship of Dr. Riley Nickols. This placement represents a significant opportunity in Rob’s development as a clinical counselor, further enhancing his ability to support clients across performance and well-being. “We are all just walking each other home.” – Ram Dass

Rob DiBernardo is a Mental Performance Coach, counselor-in-training, and leader dedicated to opti... Read More

Bianca Latham is a dedicated mental performance consultant specializing in sports and performance psychology. She focuses on enhancing athletes’ mindsets and overall performance across various age groups and sports. Bianca’s goal is to empower individuals by providing them with tools and strategies to transform their mindsets and elevate their performance.

Leveraging her experience as a Division 1 basketball player, a 7-year professional athlete, and a coach at both the high school and college levels, Bianca uses her background and expertise in sport psychology to elevate the mindset of athletes to perform at a high level. Having been a high performer herself, she understands the unique challenges and pressures athletes face. This personal insight, combined with her professional knowledge, enables her to connect deeply with athletes, empowering them with strategies to build confidence, motivation, focus, mental resilience, and the ability to overcome setbacks.

Bianca obtained her B.S. in psychology from Southeast Missouri State and dual master’s degrees (MBA and M.A. in sports psychology) from John F. Kennedy University (JFKU). While at JFKU, Bianca received the JFKU Sport Psychology Ambassador Award in recognition of her scholarly excellence and dedication to the program. She is also a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) through the Association for Applied Sports Psychology (AASP) and a Certified DISC Consultant through Athlete Assessments.

Incorporating mindfulness into her practice, Bianca has received Mindfulness Sports Performance Enhancement Instructor Training through the MSPE Institute. In addition to one-on-one sessions with athletes, she presents workshops on various mental performance topics. In her free time, Bianca enjoys participating in community service activities with her sorority, trying new restaurants in the St. Louis area, and playing and coaching basketball.

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Riley Nickols, PhD, CEDS-S is a counseling and sport psychologist who specializes in working with athletes to address mental health and performance concerns.

Dr. Nickols obtained an MS in Sport Psychology from Ithaca College in addition to an MS in Counseling Psychology and a PhD in Counseling Psychology from Fordham University. He regularly speaks to athletes, coaches, and sports medicine personnel about disordered eating and unbalanced exercise in sport. Additionally, Dr. Nickols consults with eating disorder professionals on best practices for integrating exercise during eating disorder treatment and is sensitive to the unique demands of eating disorder recovery in relation to training and competing in sport.

Currently, Dr. Nickols is on EDCare’s Scientific Advisory Board and is the Senior Program Advisor for Athlete EDGE at EDCare in Denver, CO where specialized intensive eating disorder treatment is provided for athletes. He was previously the Director of the Victory Program, the nation’s first residential eating disorder treatment facility for athletes, from 2013-2021 at McCallum Place in St. Louis, Missouri.

Dr. Nickols is listed in the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Mental Health Registry (2020-2022). He is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS) and Supervisor (CEDS-S) through the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP) and holds a certificate in the Integrated Treatment of Eating Disorders from the Contemporary Psychotherapy’s Center for the Study of Anorexia & Bulimia (CSAB) in New York, NY. He currently serves on the Clinical Advisory Council for the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA).

Dr. Nickols is currently on the steering committee for the proposed Division of Eating Disorders and Body Image as part of the American Psychological Association (APA) and was on the steering committee for Safe Exercise at Every Stage’s (SEES) Athlete Guidelines.

Dr. Nickols is a member of the Big Sky Sport Psychology Group, Collegiate Clinical/Counseling Sport Psychology Association (CCSPA), American Psychological Association’s Division 47 (Exercise & Sport Psychology), Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), and the AASP Eating Disorders Special Interest Group.

Dr. Nickols is a licensed psychologist in California, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York, and Missouri. Additionally, he is an approved, participating PSYPACT psychologist and can provide telehealth in the participating PSYPACT states.

In addition to competing in endurance sports for over 20 years, Dr. Nickols is a running coach and a USA Triathlon coach.

His proudest accomplishment is being married to his best friend and raising three adorable kids.

Riley Nickols, PhD, CEDS-S is a counseling and sport psychologist who specializes in working with... Read More