Hawai‘i’s specialist in sport psychology and sport psychophysiology
I am Hawaii’s only professional specializing in both sport psychology and sport psychophysiology, offering athletes a science‑driven pathway to mental preparation and peak performance. My work is rooted in pure sport psychology: performance‑focused mental training designed specifically for athletes. NOT therapy delivered to someone who happens to be an athlete. Every method I employ is built to enhance competitive consistency, emotional regulation under pressure, and physiological efficiency during performance.
My journey into sport and performance science began long before graduate school; it started in the ocean. As a professional bodyboarder on the Bodyboarding World Tour, I represented the USA for ten years and experienced the mental demands of elite competition. A difficult season triggered my interest in the psychological side of performance, leading me to study psychology in my undergraduate studies and Sport Psychology in my master’s degree.
The turning point in my career came in 2016 during an internship with the American Board of Sport Psychology in New York, where I was introduced to real‑time physiological recording, biofeedback, and applied psychophysiology. The ability to measure and train the body’s responses during real action immediately resonated with my experience as an athlete. Inspired, I drafted my first Ph.D. research proposal, and the Board’s chairman referred me to Saybrook University.
In 2018, I traveled to Boston for intensive biofeedback training with Dr. Inna Khazan — an important moment that solidified my commitment to psychophysiology. Shortly after, I transitioned from a PhD in clinical psychology to a PhD in Applied Psychophysiology, aligning my academic path with my lifelong identity as an athlete and my mission to bring science‑based mental and physiological training to sport.
Today, my professional practice is built on the Mindroom Protocol, an elite mental training system used by the Italian National Soccer Team during their 2006 FIFA World Cup victory. The protocol integrates sport psychology with biofeedback and neurofeedback technologies, creating a unified approach to training the mind and body to perform with precision in high-stakes environments.
I use only medical-grade, FDA-cleared biofeedback equipment, ensuring every session is grounded in accurate, clinically validated physiological data. Athletes learn to regulate breathing, autonomic balance, heart rate variability, muscle tension during performance, and neural activation patterns that translate directly into performance consistency, confidence, and competitive advantage.
With my background in sport psychology, applied psychophysiology, and integrative wellness coaching, my mission is to help athletes achieve high performance without losing themselves. The ultimate goal is to train the mind and body for excellence while cultivating a balanced, grounded life that is not driven by constant striving.
And if you think you can benefit from Andrea’s skills, do not hesitate to book your free consultation.
Andrea Carvalho Dias, Ph.D.c, MA, ABSP-BC, BCB-P
- Master’s degree in Sport and Performance Psychology
- Ph.D. candidate in Applied Psychophysiology with specialization in Optimal Functioning
- American Board of Sport Psychology; Board Certified Consultant in Sport Psychology (ABSP-BC)
- Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA); Board Certified in Peripheral Biofeedback (BCB)
- Certified Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement Instructor Trainer (MSPE Protocol)
- Certificate in Integrative Health and Wellness Coaching (Saybrook University)
