What is HIP Psychology?
Our mission is to support schools to build emotionally strong communities.
We have two core philosophies which are central to all our work:
Fun
We believe life should be enjoyed. With an engaging, interactive and relaxed style of delivery, we strive to make all of our workshops an enjoyable experience for all participants.
Evidence-Based
Drawing from a Masters level education in Psychology, all of our workshop themes and messages are underpinned by cutting-edge research. Our sessions contain practical messages and skills that all participants can integrate seamlessly into their day to day functioning.
Who do we work with?
Since 2020, HIP has supported 500 school communities across Ireland.
What should you expect when working with us?
At HIP we take pride in creating a fun, educational and inspiring experience for our clients. Within our workshops, participants will encounter a relaxed environment, in which they will uncover practical and evidence-based strategies. They will be able to independently apply the workshop teachings to add significant value to their personal and professional lives. Our understanding and practical application of psychology within the real world allows us to help our clients improve levels of performance and well-being. Providing professional support to Ulster Rugby over the last five seasons is a testament to the high level of our work.
Meet the team
Founder of HIP Psychology
Cormac’s drive comes from helping others better themselves and be more fulfilled in what they do. This passion is a key tenet in the HIP philosophy of inspiring others. Cormac has a BSc in Exercise Science and an MSc in Sports Psychology. With his thirst for knowledge, he also spent 8 weeks of intensive training in America, immersing himself in four high-performance environments. He has worked for 7 years with sports teams and in third-level education – tailoring his approach to each unique environment he is in. He is also part of the Belfast Improv community and regularly performs in front of audiences. He is a keen sports competitor and fan – playing GAA for his senior club team for 20 seasons, winning 3 county championships and an All Ireland club title. For over 17 years, he has been coaching GAA from under 8 to senior club and county level. He served as chair of his clubs’ coaching committee for five seasons – a leadership role that he thrived in. Cormac’s drive comes from helping others better themselves and be more fulfilled in what they do. This passion is a key tenet in the HIP philosophy of inspiring others.
Our 3 main domains
Schools and education
We are a behavioural change company. We use performance psychology to assist students, staff, parents, leaders, coaches and athletes in becoming the best version of themselves. HIP stands for Helping Improve Performance. The concept of helping others improve is at the centre of everything we do.
Learn More
Sports
We have been the sport psychology service providers to Ulster Rugby Academy for the past five seasons. Our focus in this environment is on the following areas: Developing a culture that drives high performance at the individual and team level; Supporting players one to one, helping them consistently deliver their best performances under pressure. Facilitating the development and maintenance of a high challenge/high support environment; Helping coaches enhance leadership and coaching skills.
Learn MoreListen to our mastering your craft podcast
Our “Mastering Your Class” Podcast is now LIVE!
Our podcast is available on most major platforms including Spotify, Soundcloud and Apple Podcasts. Just follow the links to download and listen.
Accreditations
Qualification |
Achieved |
What our clients say
Ulster Rugby
Within the last five years, HIP has provided a high level of expertise within their support of the Ulster Rugby Academy Program. In this time they have been a vital member of our multidisciplinary team, helping to shape an environment that allows our players to be mentally equipped for the pro game.
Kieran Campbell, Ulster Rugby Academy Manager, Ex Irish International Player
St Comgall’s Primary School, Bangor
The HIP program was absolutely fantastic, with both pupils and parents raving about the opportunity. All participants left with practical take away strategies to help in dealing with stressful situations and working with confidence. This is a program we will use annually going forward.
Mrs. Cathy Hunter, Principal
Portrush Primary School
Our staff enjoyed a half-day HIP program focussing on culture and the ingredients needed for excellence. The day was facilitated with understanding, clarity, and humour. It left us with robust processes, goals, and plenty to think about going forward.
Mr. Carwyn Guy, Principal
Hazelwood Integrated Primary School, Belfast
After our anti-bullying work with HIP, we now have a group of children who are aware of their behavior and how this impacts on others’ lives. This is a very important concept for us as we are developing young citizens. The success of this session led to us going through the HIP transition program.
Mrs. Patricia Murtagh, Principal
St Colman’s College, Newry
Our year 13 boys and the year 13 girls from Our Lady’s Grammar jointly took part in a HIP motivation workshop. The pupils came away from the session with a greater focus, the ability to prioritise and a sense of purpose for the year ahead. The workshop was very practical with the boys and girls able to relate to it. The session was interactive, educational and enjoyable
Ms. Victoria Archer, Head of Year
Down High School, Downpatrick
We first had HIP Psychology in our school working with our year 14 girls around managing exam pressures. On the back of this successful workshop, we invited HIP Psychology back in to deliver modules to our students around exam preparation and motivation. We have found all sessions to be hugely inspiring and highly beneficial to our students. We would recommend HIP Psychology services to other schools.
Mr. Gareth McKillen, Vice Principal
Contact us
Get in touch using the contact details below, or use the contact form.