Our Work
At HHC, our work is grounded in evidence. We actively contribute to the field of health behavior change through research, presentations, and media features.
Here’s a look at how we’re advancing the science and practice of coaching:
Awards
Innovator of the Year (2025)
Dr. Sean Locke
Brock LINC
Featured On
Research Articles
Reframing Barriers for People with Multiple Sclerosis (2025)
Reframing Physical Activity Barriers in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis: A Proof-of- Concept Study
Disability and Rehabilitation
This upcoming paper illustrates how reframing strategies can help individuals with MS navigate barriers to physical activity, offering new pathways for sustainable behavior change.
Ensuring High-Fidelity Health Coaching (2025)
Implementation Science (Under Review)
This study examined how closely a health coaching intervention was delivered compared to its’ original design. Fidelity, or the extent to which a program is delivered as intended, is critical for ensuring that coaches apply protocols consistently — and that the strategies tested in research are the same ones clients receive in practice.
Self-Compassion and Habit Change (2024)
Becoming Kinder to Yourself: Evaluating a 91-Day Self-Compassion Journal Mindfulness
In this study, we demonstrated that using a self-compassion journal over 91 days reduces self-criticism and improves self-kindness. Building self-kindness improved well-being and supports healthier habits over time.
Reframing Negative Exercise Thoughts (2019)
“I’m Just Too Busy to Exercise”: Reframing the Negative Thoughts Associated with Exercise-Related Cognitive Errors”
Psychology of Sport and Exercise
This study examined how common “thinking traps” around exercise (like “I’ll never have enough time”) can be reframed to increased exercise. The findings highlight how shifting thought patterns makes exercise goals more achievable.
Cognitive Errors in Exercise Decisions (2018)
Making One-Sided Exercise Decisions: The Influence of Exercise-Related Cognitive Errors
Journal of Health Psychology
This research demonstrated how people often rely on biased or incomplete thinking when deciding whether to exercise. Biased thinking can cause us to hyper-focus on the barriers and ignore our motivators. By identifying and challenging these patterns, coaches can guide clients toward more balanced, sustainable decisions.
Conference Presentations
Can we change negative self-talk to change behavior? (2025)
About: We presented finding from an experimental study that implicates unhelpful thinking
styles as one potential cause of physical inactivity. We demonstrated that reducing cognitive
biases (unhelpful thinking) can increase physical activity.
Presentation Title: Experimentally Examining Exercise-Related Cognitive Errors as a Modifiable Predictor of Physical Activity in Adults with Multiple Sclerosis.
Presented at: The International Congress of Behavioural Medicine, Annual Meeting. Vienna,
Austria.
Reframing as a Coaching Tool to Increase Physical Activity (2025)
About: We shared emerging findings showing that targeting people’s exercise-related thoughts
— helping them notice and reframe negative thoughts and emotions about activity — can lower
those negative feelings and lead to more physical activity.
Presentation Title: Exploring Reframing as a Behavior Change Strategy for Increasing Physical
Activity in People with Multiple Sclerosis
Presented at: Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting – San Francisco-USA
Ensuring Fidelity While Tailoring Coaching (2024)
About: We shared insights on how coaching interventions can remain true to their design while
still being adapted to meet the unique needs of people with MS. Fidelity—delivering a program
as intended—is crucial to ensure that clients benefit from strategies tested in research, while
also allowing flexibility so coaching feels personalized and relevant.
Presentation Title: Reducing the Struggle to Exercise: Examining Fidelity in Tailored Cognitive
Reframing Coaching for Persons with MS
Presented at: Mapping New Knowledges, Niagara, ON
Reframing Exercise Beliefs in Women with MS (2024)
About: We demonstrated how women with MS experience exercise-related doubts and
negative thoughts, and showed how reframing strategies can shift these beliefs. By focusing
specifically on women’s experiences, this work highlighted unique barriers and demonstrated
how supportive coaching conversations can build confidence and open up new possibilities for
physical activity.
Presentation Title: Reframing Exercise Beliefs: Addressing Women’s Experiences with Multiple
Sclerosis
Presented at: Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology conference,
Kingston, ON.
Shaping Exercise Beliefs with Reframing (2024)
About: We presented experimental evidence that simple reframing techniques can shift limiting
beliefs about exercise and help people feel more capable of being active.
Presentation Title: Shaping Exercise Beliefs: An Experimental Investigation into Reframing
Strategies for Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
Presented at: Eastern Conference for Sport and Exercise Psychology Symposium (ESEPS),
Toronto, ON
Comparing Coaching Strategies to Support Exercise (2023)
About: We compared two coaching approaches — one that focuses on changing unhelpful
thoughts (cognitive strategies) and one that focuses on building routines and concrete plans
(behavioral strategies). We looked at how each affected motivation, adherence, coping skills,
and people’s ability to self-manage physical activity. Cognitive strategies reduced negative self-
talk and improved coping; when cognitive and behavioral strategies were combined, participants
showed the biggest gains in motivation, adherence, and self-management.
Presentation Title: Understanding the Mechanisms of Action: Cognitive Reframing Compared
to Action Planning
Presented at: North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, Toronto
Ontario
Tailoring Coaching Interventions (2023)
About: We explored how health coaching interventions can be adapted to better fit the needs of
clients. Drawing on feedback from people with MS, we identified key considerations for tailoring
and shared strategies to ensure coaching feels both personalized and effective, while still
grounded in evidence-based methods.
Presentation Title: Examining the Acceptability of Tailored Cognitive Reframing Coaching for
Persons with Multiple Sclerosis
Presented at: Mapping New Knowledges Conference, Niagara, Ontario
Media Features
Print media: Researchers Launch Healthy Habit Platform to Combat Chronic Disease
Brock News (2025)
Brock University profiled our work on launching HHC, highlighting the story behind our evidence-based approach to coaching and its potential to support people living with chronic conditions.
Print media: Walking soccer: Brock experts on a new way to play the beautiful game
Brock News (2025)
Walking soccer highlights how modifying traditional activities can make movement more accessible and enjoyable for people across ages and abilities. It underscores the importance of creative, evidence-based approaches that can help clients stay active and engaged for life.
Radio Interview: Exercise and Creativity (March 2024)
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Syndicated Radio Interviews
Series of live interviews across different Canadian cities discussing the link between physical
activity and creativity.
Why This Matters: Physical activity may have the potential to boost short-term creativity immediately following an exercise session. There may be added benefit to activity performed in nature.
Radio Interview: Step Count and Mental Health (December 2024)
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Syndicated Radio Interviews
Series of live interviews across different Canadian cities discussing the link between achieving
the recommended 10,000 steps per day and mental health.
Why This Matters: Low mood and poor mental health are an epidemic. Physical activity, like walking, can buffer low mood to boost metal health. Every 1,000 extra steps per say you get may further increase your mood.
Radio interview: Exercise and New Years Resolutions (January 2023)
Newstalk 610 SKTB, St. Catharines, ON
Discuss how to set and achieve lasting exercise-related New Year’s resolutions.
Why This Matters: Few of us actually stick with our New Year’s resolutions and most abandon them after about six weeks. We discussed strategies for success, like taking small steps to start slowly, ensuring you reflect on your motivation for making the change, and keeping accountable to someone.