Mental Training Lab

Pete Kadushin, PhD
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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.

  1. Beyond the Grind: Redefining Mental Toughness with Dr. Hillary Cauthen

    1 G FA

    Beyond the Grind: Redefining Mental Toughness with Dr. Hillary Cauthen

    For decades, athletes and high performers have been taught to grind harder, push through pain, and silence weakness at all costs. I’m your host Pete Kadushin, and in this episode of The Mental Training Lab, I sit down with clinical sport psychologist and author Dr. Hillary Cauthen to talk about one of the most romanticized ideas in sport and performance: mental toughness. Hillary explains why that traditional narrative gives her the “ick” and why many performers are quietly paying the price through burnout, injury, harsh self-talk, and unsustainable pressure. We discuss a more holistic model of mental strength that still honors resilience and perseverance but adds essential capacities like self-awareness, vulnerability, emotional regulation, and values-based motivation. Hillary steps up to the plate to coach me on my own “wrestler mindset” and the fear-based motivation that many high achievers rely on. You’ll learn about identity, performance culture, and how expanding our tool set can help us sustain excellence without losing our competitive edge. If you’re an athlete, coach, or leader who grew up in grind culture, this conversation offers a powerful reframe and a glimpse of what real cultural change can look like in action. Learn more about Hillary’s book Hello Trauma: Our Invisible Teammate on her website: www.hillarycauthen.com. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Learn more about The Mental Training Lab Connect with Pete on Instagram | LinkedIn | Website Subscribe to the podcast on Apple | Spotify This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

    54 min
  2. The Illusion of Progress

    3 MAR

    The Illusion of Progress

    In this solo episode, I’m exploring something I see all the time in the performance world: the illusion of progress. From the outside, it can look like we’re doing everything right. We’re building mental skills, trying new strategies, putting in the reps, and staying disciplined. And yet, despite all that effort, we often find ourselves circling back to the same patterns and frustrations. In this conversation, I unpack why that happens. We look at the deeper structure underneath behavior — how our beliefs quietly shape our actions, and how those actions reinforce the very reality we’re trying to change. When we only focus on adding new tools without examining that underlying layer, we can end up getting better at running the same loop. As always, I’ll leave you with a few practical questions you can use to reflect on your own patterns and begin creating real movement, not just the appearance of it. If you’ve been working hard but feel like you’re not actually getting anywhere, this episode will give you a different lens to look through. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Learn more about The Mental Training Lab Connect with Pete on Instagram | LinkedIn | Website Subscribe to the podcast on Apple | Spotify This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

    19 min
  3. Hypnosis for High Performance: How Intentional Focus Can Transform Pain, Sleep, and Stress with Dr. David Spiegel

    17 FEB

    Hypnosis for High Performance: How Intentional Focus Can Transform Pain, Sleep, and Stress with Dr. David Spiegel

    What do a hypnotized high-school wrestler, Olympic athletes, and modern neuroscience all have in common? In this episode of The Mental Training Lab, I sit down with Dr. David Spiegel, one of the world’s leading experts in clinical hypnosis, to clear up the myths, misunderstandings, and stage-show baggage surrounding hypnosis. Next, we explore how it’s actually being used to reduce pain, manage stress, improve sleep, and enhance high-level performance. We unpack how hypnosis works in the brain (including its effects on attention, dissociation, and the default mode network), and why hypnosis is best understood as an intentional, goal-directed mental skill, not mind control. David shares remarkable clinical and performance stories, from eliminating chronic migraines to helping athletes access high quality focus under pressure. We also explore how hypnosis complements meditation, where the two differ, and why hypnosis can sometimes create rapid change where other practices haven’t. If you’re interested in performance, well-being, or the science of attention and intentionality, this conversation may completely change how you think about hypnosis. Learn more about Reveri, David’s self-hypnosis app, and get 20% off yearly or lifetime memberships with code MENTAL20: reverihealth.app.link/mental - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Learn more about The Mental Training Lab Connect with Pete on Instagram | LinkedIn | Website Subscribe to the podcast on Apple | Spotify This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

    1 h 4 min
  4. Train Your Mind Like an Olympian | Mental Skills for Peak Performance from the Skimo Gold Podcast

    11 FEB

    Train Your Mind Like an Olympian | Mental Skills for Peak Performance from the Skimo Gold Podcast

    It’s officially the Olympics season, and I was stoked to join endurance athlete Travis Macy and Olympic ski mountaineer Cam Smith to talk about the mental skills behind peak performance. This episode is shared here on the Mental Training Lab feed as part of a crossover with Skimo Gold, and I’m excited to bring this conversation to you.  We get into what it truly means to train your mind like an Olympian. And that means for any moment where pressure, uncertainty, or expectations are high. Not just on race day. You’ll learn: How elite athletes stay present when the stakes are highWhat effective visualization actually looks like (and where it often goes wrong)How to avoid spiraling into outcomes and future thinkingWays to build confidence without tying it to resultsHow to coach yourself with a healthier, more supportive inner voiceWhile the examples come from endurance sport and ski mountaineering, the mental skills we discuss apply far beyond athletics. These are tools for leaders, parents, coaches, and anyone trying to show up more grounded and intentional under pressure. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Learn more about The Mental Training Lab Connect with Pete on Instagram | LinkedIn | Website Subscribe to the podcast on Apple | Spotify This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

    1 h 22 min
  5. Bad Advice: Discipline > Motivation

    3 FEB

    Bad Advice: Discipline > Motivation

    On this week's solocast I'm taking a hard look at the way motivation and discipline are talked about online — and why a lot of the popular advice actually works against long-term performance. You’ve probably seen the posts: discipline beats motivation, motivation is weak, success is just showing up no matter what. It all sounds tough and inspiring… until you actually try to live it. And then burnout, inconsistency, and frustration start creeping in. So let's unpack the fundamental misunderstanding behind those messages and explain why discipline without motivation is like a car without gas. Discipline isn’t the enemy, but it’s not the fuel either. I break down: What discipline actually is (and what it isn’t)A practical, usable definition of motivationWhy framing discipline as punishment leads to burnoutHow self-determination theory explains the different “flavors” of motivationWhy elite performers don’t rely on just one source of driveHow to build a hybrid system that keeps you consistent and resilientWhen being “disciplined” actually means backing off instead of pushing harder If you’ve ever felt like you should be more disciplined, or wondered why motivation seems to disappear right when you need it most, this episode will help you reframe both — without shame, without hype, and with tools you can actually use. As always, if something here resonates (or if you disagree), I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me at drkcoaching.com and let me know what landed. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Learn more about The Mental Training Lab Connect with Pete on Instagram | LinkedIn | Website Subscribe to the podcast on Apple | Spotify This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

    25 min
  6. Turning the Mic Around: Pete Kadushin on Meaning, Mindfulness, and Mental Performance

    20 GEN

    Turning the Mic Around: Pete Kadushin on Meaning, Mindfulness, and Mental Performance

    What happens when the Mental Training Lab host hands over the mic? I’m your host Pete Kadushin, and in this special reverse interview episode, I’m interviewed by psychiatrist, meditation teacher, and longtime contemplative practitioner Holly Rogers. The conversation grew organically out of our previous episode together, one that sparked more questions, deeper curiosity, and the realization that it was time to balance the scales. Together, Holly and I explore how contemplative practices like mindfulness and meditation have shaped my personal life and professional path—from grad school, to working with elite athletes, to my current role in learning and development with the Chicago Blackhawks. I open up about vulnerability, presence, impermanence, and why mental performance work increasingly feels like sacred work rather than a set of techniques. This episode is an honest, reflective look at what it means to practice what we teach. And how slowing down, paying attention, and trusting the process can lead to more meaningful performance, deeper relationships, and work that truly lights us up. Whether you’re a coach, athlete, leader, or simply someone curious about how contemplative practices can change the way you show up in the world, this conversation offers insight, humanity, and permission to explore your own path with a little more trust. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Learn more about The Mental Training Lab Connect with Pete on Instagram | LinkedIn | Website Subscribe to the podcast on Apple | Spotify This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

    1 h 1 min
  7. "No Big Deal"

    6 GEN

    "No Big Deal"

    In today’s solocast, I explore one of my favorite mental training mantras: “No big deal.” We look at how quickly we label experiences as good or bad, and how those judgments (often made without the full story) can quietly hijack our nervous system, emotions, and performance. Using a classic Zen parable alongside examples from sport, I unpack how unexamined thoughts start to feel like reality, and what happens when we learn to loosen our grip on them. We also examine how “no big deal” isn’t about dismissing your experience, but about creating space to feel what you feel, unhook from unproductive thinking, and re-orient toward your values and intentions so you can stay present and perform what’s actually in front of you. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Learn more about The Mental Training Lab Connect with Pete on Instagram | LinkedIn | Website Subscribe to the podcast on Apple | Spotify This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

    14 min
  8. From Self-Criticism to Self-Compassion: How Mindfulness Changes Performance with Dr. Holly Rogers

    16/12/2025

    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 transform our relationship to the present moment, performance, and our lives as a whole.  Holly has spent decades working with college students, emerging adults, and high performers, helping them use Vipassana (mindfulness) meditation not as a relaxation tool, but as a mental training and nervous system regulation practice. We dig into what mindfulness actually is (and isn’t), why it’s not about “clearing your mind” and more about expanding your stretch zone so you don’t tip into overwhelm when it matters most. We also get personal. I share how these practices have helped me transform my relationship with self-criticism, including a moment where I found myself unexpectedly in tears on the cushion, able to meet a younger version of me, and his “wrestler mindset” with compassion instead of judgment. Holly brings in 30 years of clinical experience to bust the myth that being kinder to yourself will make you soft or lazy and explains why she’s never once seen that happen. If you’re an athlete, coach, or high performer who’s curious about mindfulness, meditation, self-compassion, performance, and resilience, this conversation offers practical tools, science-backed insight, and very human stories to help you start (or restart) your own practice in a doable, sustainable way. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Learn more about The Mental Training Lab Connect with Pete on Instagram | LinkedIn | Website Subscribe to the podcast on Apple | Spotify This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

    1 h 3 min
Elenco completo (76)

Trailer

Descrizione

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.

Informazioni

  • Creatore
    Pete Kadushin, PhD
  • Anni di attività
    2021 - 2026
  • Puntate
    76
  • Classificazione
    Contenuti espliciti
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Mental Training Lab
  • Sito web del podcast
    Mental Training Lab

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