Bernice Sant has completed a professional doctorate in sport and exercise psychology at Liverpool John Moores University.

As a result of programme’s extensive practitioner development, she met the competencies of the British Psychological Society and Health and Care Professions Council for chartered and practitioner psychologists.

During the programme, she kept a practice log summarising the hours she spent learning, implementing and evaluating key competencies required by sport and exercise psychologists. Her reflective diary highlighted critical moments, events and learning experiences that were key to her practitioner evolution.

She undertook three consultancy and teaching case studies to provide a account of her consultancy process and teaching and training style. This included work with people practising multiple sports and exercises, including gymnastics, CrossFit, archery, football, tennis, e-racing, rugby and recreational gym.

She conducted a systematic review to investigate gaps in understanding the quality of mindfulness interventions in sport. She wrote two empirical papers on exercise psychology. These looked at the re­lationship between self-reflection and self-determined physical activity motivation and be­­haviour, and explored the lived experience of participants’ self-reflective practice in relation to physical activity motivation and behaviour.

Sant disseminated her research findings at academic conferences and workshops and at professional team meetings as well as during her lectures in sport and exercise psychology.

Her studies were made possible thanks to the financial support provided by the Malta Sport Scholarships Scheme.