Meet Our Team
Dr. Hillary Cauthen
Clinical Sport Psychologist
Dr. Hillary Cauthen has been involved in athletics since the age of 4. Throughout her highly competitive training she has developed a love for sport and psychology. At an early age, Dr. Cauthen was curious about the athletic mindset and finding ways to enhance one's "heart" and inner drive to reach personal success. While pushing herself to her physical limits, she began to understand the importance of mental strength.
Her education began with a focus in sport psychology. Through her studies, she realized the magnitude sport had on one's personal growth. Understanding the psychological aspect of sport, she began to blend the fields of clinical and sport psychology.
Dr. Cauthen strongly believes in the practice of: embracing personal growth, enhancing performance, and enriching one's passion for athletic and professional endeavors.
Dr. Cauthen is the Founder of Texas Optimal Performance & Psychological Services. Formerly served as the Director of Organizational Wellness & Performance for Austin FC and the performance psychologist for the San Antonio Spurs, where she developed their mental performance and wellness programs. Dr. Cauthen has developed private businesses that bring mental wellness curriculum to school districts across the nation, as well as an analytics company that helps predict the behavioral risk factors in players for teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and Premier League. Her work with high performance is breaking down stigma across communities which is highlighted in her book, "Hello Trauma, Our Invisible Teammate.”
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Dr. Cauthen has over 17 years of experience working within the field of sport and performance psychology, is an active member in her local community, and professional associations, such as Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), and American Psychological Association - Division 47 (Society for Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology). She has experience teaching undergraduate and graduate students in psychology and sport psychology programs. Dr. Cauthen believes in giving back and growing the field and often mentors students/professionals seeking CMPC.
Dr. Cauthen is currently a Licensed Psychologist in the state of Texas. She is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant. She serviced in variety of leadership roles, Membership Chair for the Division 47 of the APA - Society for Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology and Elected Secretary-Treasure for AASP, 2019-2021.
Dr. Katie Hartmann
Licensed Psychologist & Licensed Specialist in School Psychology
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Dr. Hartmann pulls from over 10 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and families to offer a variety of tools and techniques to help those who have experienced trauma and stressors. She has trained extensively in Somatic Experiencing, a body-based approach to healing traumatic stress, and is particularly passionate about helping youth develop a foundation for coping and resilience.
As part of this approach, Dr. Hartmann also understands that the entire family may need support when a child is struggling. She partners with parents/adults to navigate challenges, work therapeutic routines into daily life, and provide strategies so families can advocate for proper school-based support.
In session, Dr. Hartmann provides warmth, humor, and a focus on strengths. She helps her clients understand how different experiences present both in the mind and body. She is collaborative and works to set goals together with her clients and their families.
Dr. Hartmann also specializes in psychological assessments for children, adolescents, and young adults. Dr. Hartmann’s assessments focus not only on diagnoses and test results, but mainly on providing answers into the family's specific questions and concerns. She loves writing readable, jargon-free reports that tell a story about the individual with customized recommendations. When appropriate, Dr. Hartmann also offers feedback about the assessment and diagnoses to the child or adolescent. In these sessions, she empowers youth to understand their diagnoses, strengths, and advocate for themselves appropriately.
Dr. Hartmann grew up in the midwest and moved to Austin in 2012. In her spare time, Dr. Hartmann enjoys playing board games with her husband, reading, journaling, and hiking. She is part of a multicultural family and has an orange and white cat.
Dr. Hartmann is a Licensed Psychologist (Texas), Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (Texas), Nationally Certified School Psychologist, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), and a National Register Health Service Psychologist
EDUCATION
Ph.D. School Psychology, Illinois State University (APA Accredited, NASP Approved), 2012
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B.A. Psychology, Truman State University, 2006
Danny Burton
Mental Performance Consultant
Danny Burton is a Mental Performance Consultant who brings real-world experience, evidence-based strategies, and a pragmatic approach to performance and well-being. Danny was a multi-sport standout and U.S. Presidential Scholarship winner who continued to play baseball at the collegiate level. In his college program, Danny experienced what many young athletes do: a perfectionistic climate that caused him to burn out and leave the program, broken-hearted and disillusioned with toxic sporting culture.
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While cultivating a new identity for himself, Danny traveled abroad, participating in work exchanges as he learned from others across the globe. In his travels, he realized all the transferable skills he had acquired as a competitive athlete. His passion and creativity helped him become a talented musician and performer. His leadership and strong communication led him into the education sector and, eventually, back into sports – as a coach. He embraced coaching as an opportunity to maximize young athletes’ abilities and better sports culture for the next generation.
When the pandemic hit, Danny's adaptability came to the fore. He transitioned from coaching to becoming a successful real estate agent, leveraging his motivational coaching background to build a thriving business. However, his true calling remained in helping others. This led him to the Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) path. He returned to school, and in June 2024, Danny completed his master’s in sport & performance psychology at the University of Western States.
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Today, Danny works with performers ranging from athletes to stage actors to business owners. He meets the client where they’re at, building an individualized and collaborative plan based on the unique needs of each person or organization. He understands what it feels like to put everything you have into what you love–what makes you feel alive. But he knows this pursuit of excellence does not need to compromise one’s well-being. That is why Danny takes a holistic approach, balancing the client’s needs and values while empowering the performer to achieve (maybe) more than they ever dreamed possible.
Eden Bonser
Mental Performance Consultant
Eden Bonser is a Mental Performance Consultant who works with athletes, performers, and high achievers to develop the awareness, habits, and mental skills necessary to perform at their best while maintaining a meaningful and fulfilling life.
As a lifelong athlete and former collegiate basketball player, Eden understands both the rewards and challenges that come with pursuing excellence in any. endeavor. Sport provided structure, purpose, and identity throughout much of her life. Like many athletes, however, she eventually faced the challenge of stepping away from competition and redefining what fulfillment and success looked like beyond sport. Through that transition, she came to recognize that the qualities she valued most as an athlete, including discipline, resilience, community, leadership, and a commitment to growth, were not limited to competition. She also gained a deeper appreciation for the role of balance and sustainability in long-term success. That experience taught her that pursuing excellence does not require sacrificing well-being, and that meaningful growth is most effective when it can be sustained over time. This realization sparked her passion for mental performance and holistic wellness. By combining mental skills training, integrated wellness, mindfulness, and behavior change, Eden found new ways to pursue growth while remaining connected to the values that initially drew her to sport. Today, she helps clients navigate similar challenges, whether they are striving for peak performance, recovering from setbacks, managing transitions, or seeking greater balance in their lives.
Eden earned her Master's degree in Performance and Sport Psychology from the University of Illinois Chicago, where she worked with NCAA Division I athletes, youth athletes, teams, and performers across a variety of settings. Her approach integrates evidence-based mental performance strategies with sustainable habit development. She believes that optimal performance is not about eliminating challenges, but learning how to respond to them in ways that align with one's values and desired identity.
At the center of Eden's work is a collaborative relationship built on trust, curiosity, and authenticity. She partners with clients to explore what their best self looks like, identify the qualities and values they want to embody, and develop practical strategies to bring those intentions into their daily lives. Rather than prescribing solutions, she works alongside clients to build greater awareness, confidence, and ownership of their growth process. Her goal is to help individuals perform at their highest level while creating a life that feels meaningful and sustainable beyond performance alone.
Dr. Emily Matis
Clinical Sport Psychologist,
Dr. Matis has been a competitive athlete since she was 5-years-old. Growing up in the sports world, she developed an appreciation for the opportunities that sports can bring as well as in-depth understanding of the various challenges that come with it as well. As a clinical psychologist and prior collegiate athlete, she is passionate about providing support and guidance to competitive athletes as they navigate various setbacks including anxiety, injury, and life transitions.
Dr. Matis strives to create a trusting bond with each of her clients, working collaboratively to address their specific needs and explore their optimal goals. She combines aspects from psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and culturally sensitive perspectives to help her clients through challenges they are facing while better appreciating who they are.
Dr. Matis aims to instill confidence in her clients as they uncover how distressing life periods can also serve as opportunities to pivot and grow. She believes that therapy is an opportunity to embrace change and see oneself more fully. At times, athletes may feel stuck in pain and helpless to create new pathways forward. She aims to create a safe space for her clients to explore their vulnerabilities through a more compassionate lens and work towards positive growth.
Dr. Matis grew up in the northeast and completed her clinical training in New York City before moving to Austin in 2023. She played soccer at Emory University and continues to enjoy intramural sports as well as pilates, traveling, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.
She has worked in numerous clinical settings including hospitals, college counseling, neuropsychological assessment, community mental health, and private practice. She has experience working with adolescents and adults struggling with mood-related disorders, sports injury, eating disorders, relationship issues, as well as profound trauma. Her research explored how traumatic events, such as COVID-19, impacted elite athletes’ self-concept and mental health.
Education
Psy.D. Clinical Psychology, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University (APA Accredited), 2024
B.A. Psychology and Economics, Emory University, 2017
Andres Muniz
Mental Performance Consultant
Andres Muniz works on a continuum of care model who blends life experiences from sports, business, and mental health to help individuals unlock their full potential. Growing up overseas with limited opportunities to pursue collegiate sports in the U.S., Andres' determination and talent opened up several doors for him. Andres turned down an offer to redshirt at Trinity University and instead elected to attend the United States Military Academy, where he would spend one year at the United States Military Academy Prep School, where he played basketball. His passion for basketball faded during this year due to arduous relationships and burnout. He continued his journey at West Point, spending another year at the academy before returning to Texas to complete his undergraduate degree at Texas State and began a successful career in venture capital.
Despite excelling as a corporate executive, Andres felt called to a more meaningful purpose—helping others become the best version of themselves. This inspired him to earn a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, where he cultivated his expertise in mental health and performance.
Andres’ unconventional journey has shaped his unique approach to mental performance consulting. Drawing from high-stakes experiences in athletics, business, and psychology, he combines evidence-based practices with a collaborative, holistic framework that considers the biological, psychological, and social factors affecting peak performance.
As a member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) and a CMPC certification candidate, Andres works with athletes, professionals, and high performers across disciplines. His competitive drive remains strong, as he actively trains and has competed professionally in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He also shares his passions, coaching basketball at a performance center in Austin, TX.
With his diverse background, Andres provides an empathetic yet results-oriented approach, empowering clients to overcome challenges and excel in their pursuits. Andres is a native Spanish speaker and offers all services in both English and Spanish.