Our Team

Brenley Shapiro lives by her philosophy of embracing challenges and pushing boundaries to achieve one’s highest potential. As a Toronto based Sport Psychology & Performance Consultant, Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, and Certified Sports Vision Trainer, Shapiro has become the first female Mental Performance Consultant for the Arizona Coyotes in the NHL, as well as the OHL for the Peteborough Petes. Most recently, she has signed on with the Chinese National Hockey Team Program as the Mental Performance Coach for the Beijing 2022 Olympics.  Her passion for motivating audiences to reach their fullest potential has received praise from corporations, sports organizations and schools across International landscapes.  Brenley’s rare and unique skill set blended together covers all aspects of the ‘mental game’, and fundamentally guides athletes and clients to master their mind for ultimate performance enhancement.

Brenley has been in practice for over 20 years working with athletes, teams, individuals, and organizations, and is the founder of Heads Up High Performance. Brenley has extensive experience and a specialized focus in work with hockey teams and players internationally and at every level from minor hockey, through to the OHL, WHL, KHL, AHL & NHL. Brenley has also been involved in the OHL Combine, U15 Program of Excellence with the Ontario Hockey Federation, and sits on the expert panel for the Coaches Association of Ontario. She is a published author, an Ambassador with Lululemon, and a powerful keynote speaker

With an exceptional ability to teach, motivate, inspire, and connect with all those she works with, Brenley has dedicated her life’s work to helping people push the boundaries of achievement and facilitate a pathway towards success. Her transformative program and style, along with her vast degree of knowledge and training spanning every aspect of the mental game is what separates her from the rest. Provoking excitement, engagement and the transformation of the power of the mind, Brenley is able to foster a true culture of excellence within those she works with. 

Lyza-Jane DeVera was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and after moving to Toronto, she started her dance training at the early age of 2 years old. She trained formally in many disciplines and holds certifications with The British Association of Teachers of Dancing and the Royal Academy of Dance. Lyza graduated from the University of Western Ontario with high honours, earning her Bachelors in Business and Psychology. At Western, she was also on the Upper Executive board and creative director of CAISA Fashion Show – Canada’s largest student-run fashion show to date; raising more than $260,000 for the Children’s Health Foundation in London. Lyza also graduated Magna Cum Laude from her Masters of Science Degree with a specialization in Sport Psychology. Some of her graduate research topics included: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and Suicide in pre-professional and professional athletes; Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychotherapy within Athletic Welfare Programming; Athletic Performance Enhancing Drugs; Athlete Career Transitions; Psychological Training Program Design for Injury Prevention; and Gender in Sport. She is also certified with the International Sports Sciences Association in Personal Training, Sports and Fitness Nutrition, and Post-Rehabilitation Exercise Therapy. 

Lyza-Jane has had the opportunity to train, perform and teach alongside many renowned artists across North America, Europe, and Australia, with some of her credits including the Randolph Academy Triple Threat program, The National Ballet School of Canada, a National TV Promo for CTV's "So You Think You Can Dance", Toronto's RBC WinterCity Festival, the Toronto Raptors Dance Pak, and as part of Team Canada for the IDO World Dance Championships in Germany. She had also spent some time at camp in Phuket, Thailand training in mixed martial arts and fitness conditioning. Lyza has experience working on multi-sport platforms, always striving to implement creative and innovative ways of uniting both mental and physical strategies to her training techniques in order to help athletes and performers reach their peak performance levels, while also keeping them excited and engaged in new activities."

As a Toronto based Psychotherapist (Qualifying), with a certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Gabrielle Iwaskow is motivated and passionate towards the athletic and high performance community. Earning an Honours degree in Psychology from the University of Guelph and a Masters degree in Counselling Psychology (MACP) from Yorkville University, she addresses how psychological factors influence performance in sport and is able to integrate innovative and evidence-based tools into tackling the problems that are here and now.

Gabrielle brings unique first-hand experience to the table. As a provincial level soccer player for over a decade, she has developed awareness for the psychological aspect of the game, particularly in highly competitive environments. Her insight and eagerness to help athletes take ahold of their mental abilities sets her apart from Mental Game Coaches, helping achieve new levels of performance. As a results-driven individual, Gabrielle has a passion for facilitating a connection for inner strength to maximize performance potential.