Welcome to MindTrek!

You’ve arrived at the private coaching & consulting practice of Dr Gordon Spence.

I founded MindTrek in 2002, just after commencing my PhD in coaching psychology. Why the name? Simple. It acknowledges the internal (psychological) adventure that comes whenever we set important life goals & strive towards them.

I’ve always enjoyed assisting clients tackle their behaviour change adventures & MindTrek has allowed me to do that in ways I could not have imagined when I started the company.

In the 20+ years I’ve been doing this work, I have provided individuals, teams and organisations with an array of services. This includes organisational consulting, leadership & workplace coaching, workshop facilitation, keynote speaking and contract research to clients such as:

Qantas - BT - Westpac - Australian Institute of Sport - Manly Sea Eagles - Central Coast LHD - AMP - Australian Rugby Union - Administrative Appeals Tribunal - Mason Stevens - Migration and Refugee Review Tribunal - Uniting NSW/ACT - Lion - BNP Paribas - Surf Life Saving NSW - Australian Film Television & Radio School - AFL Players Association - University of Melbourne - University of Technology - Sydney Opera House - NAB - Macquarie Bank - Google - Charter Hall - Arcadis - United Technologies - Autobake - Australian Institute of Police Management

A unique background

My work is influenced by a diverse array of knowledge, skills & experience:

  • I am a registered psychologist & exercise scientist. This enables me to bring a well-informed holistic focus to my work, along with a belief that people need to live well in order to perform well. As such, Iifestyle factors & energy management practices are central to my work.

  • I have over 20 years academic experience & have worked in education roles at University of Sydney, University of Wollongong, & University of Newcastle. As a result, I have an in-depth, practical understanding of adult development, goal striving, mindfulness, mental skills training, rest & recovery processes, positive psychology, and sport & performance psychology.

  • Within my academic roles I have conducted & supervised research projects on subjects related to coaching effectiveness, leadership development, employee engagement, and workplace wellbeing. This has resulted in 30+ peer-reviewed scholarly publications & 5 PhD completions.

  • I also have experience contributing to community causes such as Camp Quality, LifeLine & parkrun Australia (as an Event Director). In addition, I am also a current board member for Health Coaches Australian New Zealand Association (HCANZA).

Testimonials

 

“I was referred to Gordon as part of a 6-month leadership coaching initiative & found it extremely useful for developing insight into my own and other’s behaviours, whilst providing tools to use in my health leadership role. Gordon was very professional, adaptable, & easy to talk with. We shared an enjoyment of the outdoors, so several sessions were held walking outside. This worked well as it helped me to feel at ease & enabled discussion of sensitive work issues in detail. I would recommend Gordon to others & am planning to engage him again in the future.”

JESSIE - DEPUTY DIRECTOR, EMERGENCY MEDICINE

“After working in a public health environment for 20+ years, I had developed habits & biases I didn’t know I had. With Gordon’s help I came to understand these better, whilst learning a lot about interpersonal “gymnastics”, supporting the autonomy of others & developing new perspectives. The challenge & support Gordon provided helped me stretch as a leader & grow professionally.”

KAREN – MANAGER, PEOPLE AND CULTURE MANAGER

“Gordon’s background & experience were exactly what I needed for my project. From the start, he took the time to get to know me, help me identify my strengths & work out how to best utilise them. I enjoyed the brainstorming we did together & his solution-focused, supportive approach. As a result I’ve developed bigger perspectives & better strategies, moved more out of my comfort zone, & achieved the project objectives. I would highly recommend Gordon to anyone who wants to optimise specific personal & professional outcomes.”

DIANE – FOUNDER & DIRECTOR, CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

Work together?

If you would like to engage me for some coaching or consulting work, or explore the possibility of working together on a project, I can assist with any of the following:

  • Leadership or workplace coaching;

  • Design, delivery & assessment of internal coaching programs, including peer coaching;

  • Workshop facilitation on a range of topics, including:

    • sustainable high performance

    • coaching skills for new leaders

    • coaching skills for health professionals

    • workplace wellbeing

    • health span enhancement

  • Rapid research on issues of importance to your organisation;

  • Guest talks & keynotes.

    I can also run sessions for schools or sporting organisations on a range of topics related to doing well & feeling good in academic, sporting or performing arts settings.

Contact Gordon

By phone: +61 421 641649

By email: info@drgordonspence.com