Jessica Buterbaugh, 
Mental Performance Coach

My Story

I am a mental performance specialist, coach, and lifelong athlete who works with performers aiming to compete with confidence, manage pressure, and perform consistently when it matters most. My approach blends evidence-based sport psychology with real-world coaching and competitive experience, keeping mental skills practical, efficient, and directly tied to performance outcomes.

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My primary sport background is in equestrian eventing, where success depends on precision, emotional control, adaptability, and the ability to perform under pressure in dynamic, unpredictable environments. Having gained experience as an equestrian athlete with high-performance coaches for 20 years, then as a coach for 10 years, before pursuing an education in sport and performance psychology, brings a unique advantage to my work by blending lived performance experience with applied mental-skills training. 

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Throughout my career, I have worked under and alongside multiple Olympic athletes and coaches, gaining firsthand experience in elite training environments with high standards of preparation, accountability, and execution. These experiences strongly influence the expectations and structure I bring into my work with athletes.

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Alongside my background in sport, I also have experience in the performing arts. I spent many years playing the euphonium and piano in concert bands, performing in competitions, concerts, and pit orchestras for musical theatre productions. This experience reinforced my belief that performance psychology extends far beyond sport and can support performers in any domain where focus, confidence, and pressure management matter.

I place a strong emphasis on individual development while recognizing the demands of team and competitive systems. Mental skills should enhance an athlete’s strengths rather than override them. I focus on teaching athletes why mental strategies work and how to apply them effectively in training and competition so they can take ownership of their performance in high-pressure situations.

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Currently completing my Master of Science in Sport and Performance Psychology (2026), I work with athletes,  teams, and performers committed to improvement, open to coaching, and ready to train their mental game with the same intent as their physical and technical skills.