BA, M.Sc.
Instructor, Kinesiology
School of Kinesiology
604.986.1911 ext. 3702
Fir Building, room FR517B
dperry@capilanou.ca
Education
M.Sc., Human Movement and Performance, Western Washington University.
BA, Psychology, University of the Fraser Valley.
"I'm not there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday. - Growth Mindset"
Bio
Donna Perry (M.Sc., Western Washington University) is the longest-serving faculty member in the School of Kinesiology, witnessing firsthand the evolution of the Human Kinetics program.
She has played a pivotal role in shaping HKIN and the development into a Kinesiology degree, as well as contributing to the academic and professional growth of the field. Serving for 21 years within the School of Kinesiology, Perry has been an integral part of the department since the inception of the Human Kinetics program in 2004.
Perry is a Performance Consultant (CMPC), Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and an esteemed member of both the Canadian Sport Psychology Association and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (CSPA-AASP).
As the founder of Donna Perry Consulting, she is a passionate advocate for enhancing mental performance in sport. She has worked with athletes and teams to maximize their cognitive strategies for success and has brought her practical experiences back into the classroom.
Perry is an experienced educator and expert in sport psychology, active health, motor learning and control, health and wellness and behaviour change. Her dedication to both education and applied sport psychology has positioned her as a leader in the field, inspiring future generations of students, athletes and professionals.
Her teaching philosophy is rooted in evidence-based practices that empower students to make informed decisions in both academic and practical contexts.
Through a combination of lectures, interactive assignments, group discussions and hands-on projects, Perry prepares students to tackle the challenges of promoting physical and mental health in various contexts, whether in clinical settings, sports environments or everyday life.
As a CSEP-CPT course conductor, Perry has certified over 175 students as Certified Personal Trainers through the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. She prepares students for the CPT Theory and Practical Exam by combining theoretical knowledge with hands-on training in fitness assessment and exercise prescription, equipping them for careers in health and fitness.
She has collaborated with Form Ergonomics on a Work-Integrated-Learning Experience as part of her Health Behaviour Change course, where she coaches students through practical experience implementing health behaviour change strategies. This experience prepares students to address real-world health behaviour challenges. The course content and structure serve as a model for other departments in our academic institution to enhance their health behaviour change curricula.
More recently, she has been guiding students to implement Active Health in the Workplace Initiative interventions, working with faculty and staff on campus as clients and designing behaviour change strategies for healthier lifestyles. She has worked with elite to professional athletes providing guidance to acquire the physical, social and mental skills necessary for performance excellence, sport, leisure, health and life pursuits.
As a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), Perry takes an eco-therapy approach to counselling working with athletes in their natural settings. She works with individuals and teams using the sport psychology process as a means to guide athletes along their path. Her approach to mental training is multi-modal and involves assessing the clients' internal thought process and their training environment and choosing the most appropriate psychological strategies to aid in empowering them on their journey through sport and life.
Her lifelong goal and passion is to help others realize their own potential and to tap into the power of their minds to increase performance and quality of life.
As an instructor, she looks forward to helping you aspire, believe, conceive and achieve those things you choose most in your life. She believes we are in charge of creating our own personal realities. She encourages her students to embrace the process of life as they venture into studying and applying Kinesiology theories and applications.
Perry has also contributed widely to the university community, serving on numerous committees, including Academic Advisory (Envisioning 2030), International, Assessment, Degree Development and the Capilano Faculty Association (as Department Steward). She chairs both the Governance Enhancement Committee for the GCS Faculty and the Health and Fitness Society of BC and previously ran the Exercise is Medicine on Campus initiative.
As a mental performance specialist (sport psychology educator), I am fascinated with individual human behaviour. I research and apply strategies in high performance environments and encourage students to apply newly learnt strategies in their own personal sport and life.
My interests are in educating holistic methods for healing, including psychological, social and physical strategies for better overall health and wellness.
My teaching interests stem from the belief that we as humans have this amazing ability to learn and to aspire at much higher levels than we ever thought possible, and if given the right tools and guidance there are no limits.
Perry conducts qualitative research both as an academic and through her hands-on work as a mental performance consultant, sport psychology educator and former athlete. She has developed best practices in mental training for organizations such as the Men’s National Paralympic Soccer Team and Para-Equestrian Canada, collaborating with coaches and athletic therapists to enhance programs for elite athletes across multiple sports.
Her experience spans national and international sporting events, including the 2014 Men’s Paralympic Soccer World Championships in England, the 2015 Pan Am Games, the 2013 CPISRA Intercontinental Cup in Spain and European Para-Equestrian competitions. She continues to implement mental training programs with national and provincial athletes across Canada.
At CapU, Perry secured internal funding through the NSERC Mobilize grant to launch the RESILIENCE Project (Research Effects for Sport and Life in Electroencephalography Neurological Measurements). This initiative explores the effects of head impact in high-performance contact sports and investigates the role of resilience in injury prevention, recovery and long-term brain health.
The grant also supported her supervision of a student research assistant, whom she mentored through a literature review in neuroscience and sport psychology and guided in developing a partnership engagement framework for future collaborations.
Driven by a deep commitment to advancing athlete well-being, Perry’s research focuses on the intersection of mental health, cognitive science and sport performance.
She is particularly interested in how athletes build resilience and apply cognitive strategies to navigate adversity, optimize performance and maintain mental strength throughout their careers. Her work aims to develop evidence-based tools that empower athletes to thrive both in sport and in life.
Perry has a portfolio of Applied Research in Clinical practice in Sport Psychology, as an educator and principal consultant in private practice, including the following along with seminars that were provided as a part of the educational phase of a four-step process: Assess, Educate, Implement, Follow-up:
“Enhancing Mental Toughness in Youth Athletes" - In collaboration with local youth sports organization to develop and implement mental toughness training programs for youth athletes.
"Psychological Strategies for Injury Rehabilitation" - in collaboration with sports medicine professionals to integrate mental skills training into physical rehabilitation programs, resulting in improved recovery outcomes and psychological well-being for injured athletes.
“Optimizing Performance in High-Pressure Situations" - I conducted research on strategies to help athletes perform optimally under high-pressure conditions, and delivered workshops and seminars for competitive athletes, focusing on stress management, attention control and performance enhancement techniques in pressure-filled environments.
"Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Athlete Well-being" - I explored the effects of mindfulness practices on athlete well-being and performance and collaborated with sports organizations to implement mindfulness training programs.
Seminars and workshops
Perry, D (2024). The Resilience Project. Langara College and Capilano University Joint Research Exchange.
Perry, D (2024). Building Resiliency and Mental Toughness in Elite Soccer Players. Langley United Soccer Association. Lead Certified Mental Performance Consultant.
Perry, D (2024). Mental Approach to Sport Performance and Off-Season Training. One Performance. Lead Presenter and Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC)
Perry, D (2023). Harnessing a High-Performance Mindset. Vancouver Warriors Lacrosse Club. Lead Presenter and Certified Mental Performance Consultant
Perry, D (2022). Managing adversity during Challenging Times. Fort Canoe and Kayak. Lead Presenter and Mental Performance Consultant.
Perry, D (2021). Managing adversity during Challenging Times. Langley United Soccer Association. Lead Presenter and Mental Performance Consultant.
Perry, D (2020). Building Resiliency: Practices Behind Optimal Performance, Health and Wellness. Capilano Universe – 2020 Lecture Series. Presenter.
Perry, D (2020). Managing Crisis: Diving BC. Lead presenter 
Perry, D. Reboundality in Sport. Lead Presenter for Ducks Volleyball Association, 2018.
Perry, D. Mental Toughness in Sport. Lead Presented for Ducks Volleyball Assocation, 2018.
Perry, D. Be Game Ready. Lead Presenter for Twist Conditioning High Performance Hockey Camps, 2017.
Perry, D. Parental Involvement in Youth Sport. Lead Presented Richmond Olympic Oval, 2016.
Perry, D. Focus in Sport. Lead Mental Performance Specialist presenter for BC Volleyball Association, 2013.
Perry, D. Motivation and Tracking Progress in Distance Running. Lead Mental Performance Specialist Presenter for Sport Med BC Sun Run InTraining Clinics Cloverdale Recreation Centre, 2013.
Perry, D. Mental Side of Running. Lead Mental Performance Specialist Presenter for Sport Med-BC Sun Run InTraining Clinics Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre, 2013.
Perry, D. Mental Side of Running. Mental Performance Specialist Presenter on the for Sport Med-BC Sun Run InTraining Clinics Walnut Grove Recreation Centre, 2013.
Perry, D. Mental Toughness in Sport. Mental Performance Specialist Presenter at Walnut Grove Secondary School, 2013.
Perry, D. Mental Toughness in Sport. Mental Performance Specialist Presenter for Langley United Youth Soccer Association, 2013.
Perry, D. Committing to Excellence. Mental Performance Specialist Presenter for BC Cycling Association, 2013.
Perry, D. Team Building and Cohesion. Lead Mental Performance Specialist Presenter for National Mens Canadian Para Soccer Team, 2013.
Perry, D. Committing to Excellence. Lead Mental Performance Specialist Presenter for National Mens Canadian Para Soccer Team, 2013.
Perry, D. Focus/Concentration Training and Coping with Performance Pressure - Mental Performance Specialist Presenter for BC Volleyball Association, 2013.
Perry, D. Goal Setting and Mental Preparation. Lead Mental Performance Specialist Presenter at Twist Sport Conditioning Camp Summer, 2011.
Perry, D. Committing to Excellence. Lead Mental Performance Specialist Presenter for National Canadian Para-Equestrian Riding Team, 2011.
Perry, D. Mental Preparation for International Competition, 2011.
Lead Mental Performance Specialist Presenter for National Canadian Para-Equestrian Riding Team
Perry, D. Introduction to Mental Training Concepts. Lead Mental Performance Presenter at Atlantic Ice Warriors Hockey Camps, 2012.
Perry, D. Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology - UBC Workshop. Presented in the workshop for certification as a Certified Fitness Consultant Course Conductor, 2010.
Perry, D. Excelerate (Sport Conditioning Certification/Workshop) - Twist Conditioning Presented in workshop for certification as an Excelerate Level 1 Trainer Focus on Speed, Agility and Quickness Training (SAQ), 2010.
Perry, D. Northwest Student Sport and Exercise Psychology Symposium. Western Washington University. Bellingham, WA -Presented research (thesis), mental training program, 2010.
Perry, D. Golf Psychology Forum: What you need to know about Golf. Mental Performance Specialist Presenter at Bridal Falls Golf Course, 2009.
Perry, D. Pre-competition Preparation in Judo. Mental Performance Specialist Presenter at Abbotsford Judo Club, 2009.
Perry, D. Reducing Anxiety in Judo Competition. Mental Performance Specialist Presenter at Abbotsford Judo Club, 2009.
Perry, D. What Does it Take Mentally to Make it? Lead Mental Performance Specialist presenter at Twist Conditioning Summer Camps Junior Hockey Players, 2006.
Perry, D. Introduction to Visualization Mental Performance. Specialist Presenter for Volleyball BC, 2008.
Perry, D. Coaching the Youth Sport Athlete. Centre for Performance Excellence, Western Washington University. Presented concepts related to growth and development of the youth athlete, 2007.
Perry, D. Introduction to Mental Training. Twist Conditioning Summer Camps Junior Hockey Players. Lead Mental Performance Specialist. Presented concepts related to visualization, goal setting, focus/concentration, building confidence, 2003.
Perry, D. Introduction to Mental Training. Womens Canadian Hockey Team. Lead Mental Performance Specialist Presenter on concepts related to visualization, goal setting, focus, concentration, building confidence, 2005.
Perry, D. Introduction to Mental Training. Twist Conditioning Summer Camps. Junior Hockey Players. Presented concepts related to visualization and goal setting, 2004.
Perry, D. Goal Setting for Sport. Lead Mental Performance Specialist Presented for Twist Conditioning Summer Camps Junior Hockey Players, 2005.
Perry, D. What Does it Take Mentally to Make it? Presented Mental Performance Specialist for Ross Gurney Group Junior Hockey Players, 2004.
Perry, D. Optimizing Soccer Performance. Lead Mental Performance Specialist presenter for Semiamhoo Spirit. An applied workshop for game day preparation, 2003.
Perry, D. Team Building for Success. Lead Mental Performance Specialist presenter Semiamhoo Spirit -An applied workshop on how to work together as team to achieve success, 2003.
Perry, D. Visualization for Sport. Lead Mental Performance Specialist presenter Magic in the Net Hockey Camps, 2003.
Perry, D. Mental Performance in Underwater Hockey. Lead Mental Performance Specialist presenter for UBC Underwater Hockey Team, 2003.
Magazine articles
Perry, D. Identifying athletes who are at risk for injury. Newfoundland Hockey Scene Magazine, 2012.
Perry, D. Mind over Matter. Impact Magazine, 2011.
Perry, D. Getting into the Zone. Newfoundland Hockey Scene Magazine, 2011.
Perry, D. Committing to Mental Training. Newfoundland Hockey Scene Magazine, 2011.
Perry, D. Mind Games. Impact Magazine, January 2007.
Perry, D. Mind Games. BC Coaches' Association Magazine, 2007.
Media exposure
Perry, D. Love what you Play, Podcast (audioboom.com), 2018.
Perry, D. Minor Hockey Talk, Podcast, Soundcloud, 2012.
Perry, D. Health and Fitness in Canadian Society, Interviewed on Living Together (Ch.13), 2004.
Capilano University Teaching Excellent Award, 2025
NSERC Mobilize Grant Internal for writing grant for the Resilience Project.
Certification of Appreciation (20 years of service) Capilano University
Certificate of Appreciation (15 years of service), Capilano University.
Assistantship, Western Washington University, 2000.
British Columbia Athletic Scholarship, University of the Fraser Valley, 1996-97.
British Columbia Academic Scholarship, University of the Fraser Valley, 1996-97.
British Columbia Colleges Athletic Association Provincial Allstar (soccer), University of the Fraser Valley, 1996-97.
Canadian National Championships, Under 19 Womens Soccer, 1989-90.
Ontario Provincial Championships, Under 19 Womens Soccer, 1989-90.
Canadian Summer Games, 1988.