Since
my first year as a MA student in sport psychology at Carolina (UNC-CH),
I have had passion for applied work with athletes and coaches. Since
those days at Carolina, I have obtained additional graduate and postdoctoral
training in both sport and general psychology/medical settings. As a
result, I have broadened my approach to sport psychology consultation.
Specifically, I
strongly believe that psychological skills training can be beneficial
for performers of all types, and it may have an even greater impact
upon medical and disease populations based on my own observations with
patients.
My
approach to graduate training reflects a scientist-practitioner model.
First, students are exposed the many areas encompassed by the field
of sport and exercise psychology. Then, students seek out and synthesize
existing literature regarding common aspects of performance enhancement
consultation (i.e., attention control and refocusing, relaxation and
imagery, goal setting, etc.). Informed by science, students apply their
knowledge to in-class case studies and eventually outside the classroom
with selected UNCG Varsity athletes and teams. Students are also guided
in the use of assessment tools for determining their client's needs
as well as evaluating the impact of their services. (See
Current Projects)
After
students have experienced applied consulting with athletes and teams,
then they are introduced to other settings in order to learn how to
generalize their skills beyond sport. These settings may include
medical exercise/fitness groups, athletic training clinic, student recreation
center, and performing arts.
