An Introduction to the Stigma Surrounding Sport and Performance Psychology and Athlete Mental Health
Mental health issues affect athletes at prevalence rates that are similar to the general population even with the belief that athletes are protected because of their highly active lifestyles (Petersen et al., 2023). And yet, stigma continues to be an issue for athletes when it comes to seeking support from a mental health professional or sport and performance consultant (SPC). Let’s begin our discussion because when we start to talk about mental health and sport psychology consulting we begin to break the stigma.
What is Sport Psychology? What Sport Psychology is Not?
In a previous blog post, we discussed mental health and mental health stigma. Now it seems appropriate that we bring up sport psychology to understand more about what sport psychology is and what it is not. And, yes there still is stigma and misunderstanding surrounding this branch of psychology.
Remember the Importance of the Nonverbal in Athletes: Language of Postures and Gestures
The body is the instrument of the athlete and as such there are many ways the body communicates. We often think of verbal communication first, but what the body conveys in terms of the nonverbal is also an essential element for athletes to consider. So let’s bring the nonverbal back into the conversation.
Mental Imagery or Sport Imagery Practices for Athletes to Enhance Performance
But what about a technique that does not require physical practice that helps improve motor learning? Enter mental imagery, sport imagery or visualization.
Barriers for Sport and Performance Consultants
Sport and performance consults exist within the world of psychology. They also exist within the world of sports. Both of these worlds introduce challenges for how a sport and performance consult can be introduced into the picture to help athletes. What is identified in this post about barriers for sport and performance consults hopes to illuminate some of these barriers and suggests ways that these barriers can potentially be overcome.