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Myself
Myself
My name is Yousra Elhawary. I am Egyptian, born and raised in Kuwait, and since 2016, Türkiye has been my home. My journey into Sport & Performance Psychology has taken me across Poland, Greece, and Germany, where I pursued my education in Sport Sciences and later in Sport & Exercise Psychology. Living and studying across different cultural settings has broadened my perspective on people, their experiences, and the different ways they understand themselves and the world around them.
My journey began in sport as a coach and athlete. While completing my Bachelor's degree in the Coaching Department and training as a swimming coach in Türkiye, I also experienced the demands of performance through my own journey as a triathlete. But working with athletes and witnessing their achievements and struggles made me increasingly eager to know the formula behind exceptional performance.
Initially, my curiosity was focused largely on the biological side of performance. However, during my first Master's degree in Sport Sciences and my early career as a personal trainer, my questions gradually shifted towards the psychological dimensions of performance. I realised that what drives people to perform, persevere, and pursue excellence—especially when the journey involves pressure, setbacks, uncertainty, and pain—is far beyond mere genetics. I became more curious about what happens within a person when they perform, what enables them to continue through difficult moments, and what allows them to develop and perform at their best.
When I was introduced to Sport Psychology, I became particularly interested in the spiritual dimension of the athlete. In Poland in 2020, I began to explore the role of meaning, purpose, and passion in sustaining performance through adversity. Understanding not only how someone performs, but also why they perform, became an important part of the questions that shaped my next step. This led me to the European Master's in Sport and Exercise Psychology in Greece, where I sought to deepen my understanding of the athlete as a whole person and of what makes each individual's experience unique.
Today, I am based in Germany, where I work as a freelance Sport & Performance Psychology Consultant and pursue my doctoral research at Leipzig University. My research explores the spiritual dimension of performance and how it can be meaningfully integrated into the practical work of Sport & Performance Psychology. This work continues to develop my interest in understanding performance not only as an outcome, but as part of a broader human experience.
My experience with competitive athletes, recreational athletes, youth sport participants, and people who simply train because they enjoy being gym rats has taught me that there is no single path to performance or development. Each person brings different experiences, motivations, needs, and goals. My work therefore combines an evidence-informed approach with practical experience, coaching, education, and consultation, while remaining attentive to the knowledge and perspectives of the people I work with.
I also continue to collaborate and exchange with qualified professionals across complementary areas of expertise, forming a professional network that supports the wider work of Psyche Performance. Where appropriate, this allows me to draw on specialised knowledge and connect athletes and performers with professionals who can best support their individual needs.
For me, this is what makes working in sport meaningful: understanding the person behind the performance, developing what they need to move forward, and supporting them in their pursuit of excellence!
Our Practitioners
Our Practitioners
No single practitioner can be everything a person may need
I believe in the uniqueness and complexity of human experiences. While my work focuses on performance development and psychological support within my area of expertise, some needs may call for a different or more specialised form of support.
Through my professional network, I collaborate and exchange with qualified practitioners across complementary areas of expertise in sport and performance psychology, as well as counselling, clinical, and personality-related concerns. When appropriate, I help athletes and performers connect with the professional whose expertise best matches their individual needs.
This collaborative approach allows Psyche Performance to remain focused on performance and development while recognising the importance of appropriate specialised support when it is needed.
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