ONE NSU MAGAZINE “I learned from personal experience, and the experiences of those around me, that all people suffer,” said Thomas, who earned his M.S. in Clinical Psychology from NSU’s College of Psychology in 2022. “I chose psychology because I was tired of pointing my finger at human problems and saying someone should do something about the way people were struggling around me. Studying psychology provided me with the training and experience I need to help people overcome the personal challenges they face in life.” One of the ways he assists the athletic community he came from is by serving as a mental performance specialist for the San Antonio Spurs. “It is truly an honor to have a full-circle moment of being back in professional sports,” he said. “I often think about how my clinical and academic work at NSU has prepared me to help support athletes at the professional level. The talent to be able to relate to the experiences the athletes have, combined with the skills to help them navigate perform- ance, mental, and emotional challenges, is something I am quite proud of. The last several years of studying and learning continue to pay off in ways that allow me to have signifi- cant impact.” FUTURE IN FOCUS Thomas, who is pursuing his doctorate in clinical psychology and serves as an adjunct instructor in NSU’s College of Psychology, already has his sights set on what he’ll be doing once he earns his Psy.D. degree in 2025. “As the end of my graduate studies approaches, I look forward to being able to focus full time on my company, Optimal Performance. I have seen such a positive reception for the work I do in the corporate and sports performance space. The feedback I receive about how the work we do at Optimal Performance helps other people inspires me to continue looking for ways to support high performers in all performance settings,” he explained. “I plan to do more of what I am doing currently, which includes teaching and inspiring students to discover their passions and pursue them professionally,” he added. “I also enjoy working with companies and providing them with information about the mind and brain to better assist them with reaching company goals. “STUDYING PSYCHOLOGY PROVIDED ME WITH THE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE I NEED TO HELP PEOPLE OVERCOME THE PERSONAL CHALLENGES THEY FACE IN LIFE.” 30
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