Mental Training Lab
Master your mental game with the Mental Training Lab, hosted by Pete Kadushin. With 15 years of coaching experience and a PhD in performance psychology, Pete digs deep each episode to provide practical tools and expert insights so you can perform your best when it matters most. Enhance your focus, harness stress, and overcome challenges whether you’re an athlete, leader, or high-performer. Subscribe to learn how to elevate your game in work, play, and life.
Episodes
69 episodes
From Self-Criticism to Self-Compassion: How Mindfulness Changes Performance with Dr. Holly Rogers
In this episode of Mental Training Lab, I sit down with psychiatrist, meditation teacher, and author of The Mindful Twenty-Something, Dr. Holly Rogers. We’re breaking down how mindfulness and meditation can trans...
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Season 1
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Episode 67
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1:02:29
From Fear to Freedom: Skiing and the Art of Acceptance
In today's solocast, we hit the slopes and explore the transformative power of acceptance through my own experience of learning to ski. We touch on how embracing the possibility of injury actually unlocked my ability to be present t...
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Episode 66
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22:59
Safety, Stress, and Performance: Megan Bartlett on Rethinking How We Coach Under Pressure
How does stress impact the experience of sport? In this episode of the Mental Training Lab, I sat down with Megan Bartlett, founder of the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport, educator, and faculty member of NM Sport, to explo...
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Season 1
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Episode 65
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1:08:15
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What's the Worst that Could Happen?
Today's solocast explores the role that negative visualization can play in generating gratitude, wonder, and a connection to the present moment.I share a vivid story from my early days as a mental performance coach, and outline practices...
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Season 1
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Episode 64
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18:40
Practicing What We Preach: Dr. Ryan Hamilton on High Performance, Self-Awareness, and Pushing Limits
In this episode of the Mental Training Lab, I sit down with Dr. Ryan Hamilton, someone who truly lives the work he teaches. Ryan is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of New Brunswick, a certified mental performance consulta...
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Season 1
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Episode 63
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1:18:34
Don't Step Over "The Suck"
Today's solocast explores the difference between positivity and optimism, and how positivity can often get in the way of both presence and progress. I also cover how to practice The Stockdale Paradox in real time, and the importance...
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Episode 62
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12:04
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The Hero’s Journey: Jilyne Jarvis on Transformation, Dancing with Fear, and Empowering the Next Generation
In this episode of the Mental Training Lab, I sit down with Jilyne Jarvis, co-founder and executive director of ZGiRLS, a confidence-building program transforming the lives of middle school girls. Jilyne was a professi...
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Season 1
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Episode 61
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49:33
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Not Good Enough, Need to Be Better: A Broken Model of Motivation
In this episode, I explore a common motivation pattern that presents itself as people walk the path of mastery. I'll outline the negative motivation model, why we get hooked on being driven by fear, and how it holds us back.
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Episode 60
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18:48
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Resilience, Trust, and Growth: O2X Founder Adam La Reau on Creating High-Performing Teams
What makes an organization truly high-performing? It’s not just the leader at the top, it’s the system, the culture, and the people who are working together toward a shared mission.In this episode of The Mental Training Lab I si...
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Episode 59
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1:04:11
It's Only Right if it Grooves
Excellence leaves clues, and sometimes, those clues come from the most unexpected places. Today, we're talking about the wisdom of bass guitar legend Victor Wooten and what his approach to rhythm, groove, and performance can teach us about show...
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Season 1
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Episode 58
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13:51
From the Octagon to the Playground: How Environment Shapes Elite Performance with William Massey, PhD
Ever wondered what elite MMA fighters, elementary school playground dynamics, and high-performing leaders have in common? Turns out, a lot more than you’d think. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. William Massey, a pioneering sports psycholog...
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Season 1
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Episode 57
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1:00:42
Try a Little Tenderness: Exploring ‘Rest With Awareness’ alongside iRest Yoga Nidra Expert Annie Okerlin
Is it possible to truly rest and reset, even amidst constant stress and high performance demands? In this episode, I sit down with Annie Okerlin, Yoga Nidra and iRest instructor who has spent decades guiding veterans, first responders, athle...
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Season 1
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Episode 56
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1:10:18
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We Are All Storytellers
The way we explain the past tells us everything we need to know about how we’ll predict the future…On this solecast, we’ll explore how the stories we tell ourselves about ‘why things happen’ can give us incredible insight into the ways w...
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Episode 55
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15:07
Leaving the Game: An Athlete's Guide to Transition, Identity, and Curiosity with Tessa West and Kirsten Cooper
What happens when an athlete's passion fades, but their entire identity is wrapped up in their sport? In this episode I sat down with two distinctly qualified experts to talk about the psychological and emotional journey athletes face during ca...
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Season 1
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Episode 54
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1:03:26
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The Mattering Mindset: How to Feel Valued and Add Value with Sonya Looney
What does it mean to truly matter, and how can focusing on this concept transform your performance and fulfillment? In this powerful episode of the Mental Training Lab, I sit down with professional mountain biker and positive psychology expe...
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Season 1
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Episode 53
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57:59
When a Pro Golfer Runs a Marathon: Lessons in Mental Performance from Scott Stallings and Steve Magness
Scott Stallings is a PGA Tour golfer who stepped off the green and ran right into the Boston Marathon - with no experience. In this episode of the Mental Training Lab, I’m joined by Scott and performance expert Steve Magness to explore this ...
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Season 1
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Episode 52
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1:24:47
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From Posture to Performance: Achieving Ease, Efficiency, and Embodied Movement with Mary Bond
How can subtle changes in your physical awareness dramatically improve your performance and well-being? Today on the Mental Training Lab, I’m thrilled to welcome Mary Bond—renowned author, Structural Integration practitioner, and expert in phys...
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Season 1
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Episode 51
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48:30
Unlocking Your Signature Strengths: Sustainable Excellence with Alex Auerbach, CEO of Momentum Labs
Ever wonder how elite performers consistently achieve peak results without burning out? Today I'm diving in with Alex Auerbach, performance psychologist and CEO of Momentum Labs, to unpack his powerful three-stage framework: understanding yours...
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Season 1
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Episode 50
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1:01:37
Building Team Cultures That Nurture People and Potential with Dr. Kensa Gunter
Today we’re working through the dynamics of team culture with Dr. Kensa Gunter. Does the culture shape the team, or do the people define the culture? Join us as we explore how these elements interact like a living, breathing organism, consta...
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Season 1
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Episode 49
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1:01:15
Beyond Resilience: Transforming Challenges into Growth with Dr. Adam Wright and Dr. Nick Holton of the Antifragile Academy
Unlike resilience, antifragility is about growing stronger from challenges and proactively seeking them out. To learn more about this tool, I went straight to the experts: co-founders of Antifragile Academy Adam Wright and Nick Holton. They sha...
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Season 1
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Episode 48
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59:27
The Long Game: Scott Stallings on Resilience, Recovery, and the Boston Marathon
Today we’re stepping onto the course with PGA Tour pro Scott Stallings, a master of resilience who's turned his recent injuries into opportunities for personal growth. In this episode, Scott takes us through his intense rehab journey following ...
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Season 1
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Episode 47
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58:24
The Trap of Self-Judgment: Perfectionism Meets Performance with Dr. Marina Harris
Perfectionism is a double-edged sword. It drives us, and can also derail us. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Marina Harris, a former Division I gymnast turned psychologist and performance consultant, who’s mastered the art of turning high-...
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Season 1
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Episode 46
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56:35
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Find Your Laboratory
Ever wonder how groundbreaking discoveries like penicillin, Post-it Notes, microwaves, and Teflon came to be? Believe it or not, they all started as accidents. But it wasn’t just luck—it was the mindset behind the scenes that transformed these ...
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Season 1
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Episode 45
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13:58
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Storytelling, Visualization, and the Secret Sauce of Sustainable Leadership with Al Lattell (Part 1)
Al Lattell is a trailblazer in athletic leadership at Georgetown Athletics who is breaking the mold by pushing beyond basic leadership drills into something way bigger—building a culture that cultivates leaders for the long haul. He joined m...
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Season 1
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Episode 44
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1:00:52
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Leveraging Little Moments
Today, we’re zeroing in on the power of transitions—those seemingly small moments when we switch gears from work to home or task to task. Ever wondered how a simple routine could drastically enhance your day-to-day presence and focus? We’re div...
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Season 1
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Episode 43
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12:50
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