The Self-Practice of Sport Psychologists: Do They Practice What They Preach?

Abstract

The maturation processes of applied sport psychologists have received little research attention despite trainees and practitioners having often reported experiencing challenging circumstances when working with clients. Within clinical psychology literature the self-practice of cognitive techniques, alongside self-reflection, has been advocated as a means of addressing such circumstances, and as a significant source of experiential learning. The present study sought to identify the possible types of, and purposes for, self-practice among twelve UKbased sport psychology practitioners. Thematic analysis of semistructured interviews indicated all participants engaged in self-practice for reasons such as managing the self, enhancing understanding of intervention, and legitimising intervention. Some participants also described limitations to self-practice. Subsequently, three overriding themes emerged from analysis: a) the professional practice swamp, b) approaches to, and purposes for, self-practice, and, c) limitations of self-practice. It is concluded that self-practice may provide a means of better understanding self-as-person and self-as-practitioner, and the interplay between both, and is recommended as part of on-going practitioner maturation.

Shifting Attributions, Shaping Behavior: A Brief Intervention With Youth Tennis Players

“…Managing the uncertainty of a lockdown (and previously a busy supervisor), while trying to satisfy university, personal and professional demands, has asked me if I 'practice what I preach' (Pack et al, 2014). My frustrations were poorly managed, often to little avail.…”

A systematic review of professional identity in sport psychology

“…Our analysis led us to identify the development of competence and KSAs relevant to the profession as one aspect of developing a PI (Arnold & Sarkar, 2015;Cropley et al, 2007;Friesen & Orlick, 2010;Hutter et al, 2017;Lindsay, 2007;McCormick & Meijen, 2015;McDougall et al,2015;McEwan et al, 2019;Pack et al, 2014;Poczwardowski & Sherman, 2011, Stambulova & Johnson, 2010Tod & Bond, 2010, Tod et al, 2009. Cropley et al (2010) and Pack et al (2014) distinguished between SPP competence and theoretical knowledge, with the former reflecting the skill or ability to implement the latter ethically. Specifically, consultant effectiveness was also delineated as a SPPs' ability to apply and adapt their knowledge to a specific practice context and client (Pack et al, 2014).…”

“…Cropley et al (2010) and Pack et al (2014) distinguished between SPP competence and theoretical knowledge, with the former reflecting the skill or ability to implement the latter ethically. Specifically, consultant effectiveness was also delineated as a SPPs' ability to apply and adapt their knowledge to a specific practice context and client (Pack et al, 2014). Elsewhere, scholars described how the primary opportunities for experimentation and reflection exist within SPP's interactions with their clients (Cropley et al, 2007;Tod & Bond, 2010).…”

“…In addition to the development of competence and KSAs, the provision of a clear definition concerning a SPP's role and purpose is facilitative to the formation of a PI (Cropley et al, 2010;Lindsay et al, 2007;Pack et al, 2014;Simons & Andersen, 1995;Tod et al, 2009). While several scholars debated the mechanisms of effective SP service delivery (Cropley et al, 2010;Simons & Andersen, 1995), limited attention has been put on developing a clear understanding of the purpose that a SPP serves.…”

“…While several scholars debated the mechanisms of effective SP service delivery (Cropley et al, 2010;Simons & Andersen, 1995), limited attention has been put on developing a clear understanding of the purpose that a SPP serves. Through the reporting of SPP reflections and critical discussions of the profession, Lindsay et al (2007) and Pack et al (2014), highlighted the importance of identifying and exploring the fundamental core of SPPs work. These authors have explored questions such as "Who am I doing this for?"…”