A Psychologist's guide to life and running with Luke Pryor.

In episode 11 Season 2 I'm delighted to welcome Luke Pryor BPsych (Hons) MPsych (Clin), MAPS. Luke is a clinical psychologist based in Queensland. He is also an impressive ultra runner.
Luke has a background in human movement, sports and exercise science and has worked with elite and recreational athletes and teams. He found himself increasingly drawn to the mental aspects of performance which led him to undertake extensive further training leading to a Masters in Clinical Psychology in 2012. Over the past decade Luke has worked in public and private practice and has experience in several areas including anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction and sports psychology and performance. Luke uses evidence-based therapies including cognitive behaviour therapy, motivational interviewing and has particular interests in compassion focused therapy and mindfulness, which we discuss here.
His professional background and interests make him very well placed to work with runners, athletes and individuals aiming to get and stay active, providing assistance with the mental and psychological aspects of the their sport, health, and exercise and performance.
Most recently Luke and his partner Kara Landells, who is strength and conditioning coach, have combined expertise and their passions for trail running hosting Resilient Runner Retreats.
In this conversation Luke takes us on his professional journey to date. He describes the challenges of working as a mental health clinician through a global pandemic, a time when our collective stress and anxiety has increased and his services have never been more in demand. Luke discusses the practises, tools and advice he has prioritised for his clients and patients through this period. We explore self-compassion and mindfulness based strategies and a practical approach to self-care in challenging times.
In the second half of the conversation we discuss Luke's why, where and what of running and explore the mental aspects of running and sporting performance. Luke uses running as a metaphor for life and we visit topics including motivation, self-awareness, identity, purpose and authenticity. It is perhaps no surprise that runners attending the resilient runner retreats come away feeling they have explored much more than their sport. I throughly enjoyed our conversation and am looking forward to attending a future weekend!
Find our more about about Luke Pryor :
https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-pryor-48b28176/
https://www.instagram.com/littlemadrunner/
Resilient Runner Retreats:
https://linktr.ee/pryorl/
Other Links discussed here :
Mindful Self-compassion Kristen Neff
https://self-compassion.org
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/resilience-project-from-page-to-podcast-to-home-school/id1513559414?i=1000513818626Dr Sophia Shih's Bruny Island Tiny Home:read an article about this idyllic escape with air bnb and video tour link noted at the end.
Disclaimer: The content in this podcast is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis o

The Mind Full Medic Podcast is proudly sponsored by the MBA NSW-ACT Find out more about their service or donate today at www.mbansw.org.au
Disclaimer: The content in this podcast is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care professional. Moreover views expressed here are our own and do not necessarily reflect those of our employers or other official organisations.