During my final paper for my Applied Sport Psychology course at National University the following question aroused during my research:
Can professional athletes benefit from using a Sport Psychology Consultant during injury rehabilitation?
Long story short, yes! Allow me to discuss some of the methods Sport Psychology Consultants (and/or Sport Psychologists) will most likely use during an athletes rehabilitation phase.
First, the Sport Psychology Consultant (SPC) will perform an interview to the injured athlete to see what he/she needs to work on during rehabilitation. Of course, the SPC will be focusing on enhancing mental performance and creating a more solid mental state in terms of self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-efficacy. From there the SPC will most likely hand the athlete a self-assessment report/questionnaire so that the SPC will have an even more solid base to start the work.
Second, the SPC will begin to utilize Psychological Skills Training (PST) aka Mental Skills Training (MST). PST is just as important for the athlete in terms of performance as physical training is. Elite level athletes tend to know this as it can boost their overall performance up to 90%. So why not use it if it means a better, longer and successful career? Some of the PST skills that will be utilized are Mental Imagery, Mental Rehearsal, Goal Setting (very important during rehabilitation and overall athletic career), Self-Talk (both Positive and Negative; Cultural differences can vary from which one will be most, if at all, effective), Relaxation, and Activation. These are the most common skills that SPC's will be using or a custom variation of them.
Third, the SPC will begin executing the techniques and have the athlete use them in a sort of therapy/coaching session. A good SPC will refrain from adding his/her own biases or opinions during this stage and focus on the athletes needs. Think of this as a mental performance version of Physical Therapy during this stage. Needless to say the athlete will begin recovering mentally from the injury while simultaneously recovering physically.
Finally, the SPC will guide the athlete back into his/her "daily grind". During this transition phase the athlete is expected to start diving in to regular training slowly and then intensively. Ultimately, the athlete will utilize everything learned during the PST sessions and enhance his/her performance while returning to the game.
Obviously, this is a very condensed version of what is happening during these rehabilitation sessions. Most cases deal with "career ending injuries" or "freak accidents" in terms of athletes. However, no matter how difficult or simple the rehabilitation is, find a SPC! Elite athletes aren't the only ones that can benefit from SPC's. Doctors, Lawyers, Businessmen/women, Teachers, Coaches, Actors, Artists, Musicians, etc. can all benefit from using a Sport Psychology Consultant.
Keep true everyone!
Can professional athletes benefit from using a Sport Psychology Consultant during injury rehabilitation?
Long story short, yes! Allow me to discuss some of the methods Sport Psychology Consultants (and/or Sport Psychologists) will most likely use during an athletes rehabilitation phase.
First, the Sport Psychology Consultant (SPC) will perform an interview to the injured athlete to see what he/she needs to work on during rehabilitation. Of course, the SPC will be focusing on enhancing mental performance and creating a more solid mental state in terms of self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-efficacy. From there the SPC will most likely hand the athlete a self-assessment report/questionnaire so that the SPC will have an even more solid base to start the work.
Second, the SPC will begin to utilize Psychological Skills Training (PST) aka Mental Skills Training (MST). PST is just as important for the athlete in terms of performance as physical training is. Elite level athletes tend to know this as it can boost their overall performance up to 90%. So why not use it if it means a better, longer and successful career? Some of the PST skills that will be utilized are Mental Imagery, Mental Rehearsal, Goal Setting (very important during rehabilitation and overall athletic career), Self-Talk (both Positive and Negative; Cultural differences can vary from which one will be most, if at all, effective), Relaxation, and Activation. These are the most common skills that SPC's will be using or a custom variation of them.
Third, the SPC will begin executing the techniques and have the athlete use them in a sort of therapy/coaching session. A good SPC will refrain from adding his/her own biases or opinions during this stage and focus on the athletes needs. Think of this as a mental performance version of Physical Therapy during this stage. Needless to say the athlete will begin recovering mentally from the injury while simultaneously recovering physically.
Finally, the SPC will guide the athlete back into his/her "daily grind". During this transition phase the athlete is expected to start diving in to regular training slowly and then intensively. Ultimately, the athlete will utilize everything learned during the PST sessions and enhance his/her performance while returning to the game.
Obviously, this is a very condensed version of what is happening during these rehabilitation sessions. Most cases deal with "career ending injuries" or "freak accidents" in terms of athletes. However, no matter how difficult or simple the rehabilitation is, find a SPC! Elite athletes aren't the only ones that can benefit from SPC's. Doctors, Lawyers, Businessmen/women, Teachers, Coaches, Actors, Artists, Musicians, etc. can all benefit from using a Sport Psychology Consultant.
Keep true everyone!
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