Marie Stopforth

Hi, I’m Marie. My work has always circled around potential — what enables it, what gets in the way, and how we move through that in real life, not just on paper.

I began my career in sport psychology, helping athletes manage pressure, navigate setbacks, and perform under the spotlight. But it was in the messier, more human spaces — the doubts, transitions, and questions of identity — that I found the work I really wanted to do. Coaching offered a different kind of relationship: one rooted in partnership, curiosity, and change that sticks.

Over the years, I’ve taught psychology to non-psychologists, worked within senior leadership, and coached hundreds of leaders, teams, and practitioners. What ties it all together is a belief that people thrive when they feel seen, understood, and equipped — not just to do more, but to do it meaningfully.

Now, I run The Performance Equation, where I support senior leaders and leadership teams to grow in confidence, clarity, and courage — often in complex or fast-changing environments. Alongside this, I offer supervision for coaches and coaching psychologists, creating reflective spaces to pause, make sense of practice, and grow in depth, confidence, and integrity.

I also co-lead the Coaching Psychology Network, a place for coaches who want to think more deeply, act more wisely, and stay grounded in evidence as well as experience.

This work isn’t about fixing people. It’s about meeting them where they are, asking better questions, and creating the kind of shift that ripples far beyond the coaching room. Quietly, consistently, and with the psychological tools to back it up.