Navigating Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology Reflections and Insights from Emerging Practitioners

In recent years, more students have chosen to study sport and exercise psychology with a view to building careers as applied practitioners. While sport and exercise psychology master’s graduates leave university with the necessary theoretical knowledge to inform their practice, they are often left wanting to know more about creating and navigating a career within the field. Navigating Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology provides readers with an honest and contemporary insight into the work and experiences of trainees and early career practitioners. This book delves further into the more complex and nuanced experiences of being an applied practitioner. Using case studies and reflections, the chapters explore key topics including working within multi-disciplinary teams, maintaining ethics and integral practice during challenging conversations and supporting mental health in high-performance environments. Written by trainees and early career practitioners, this book is vital reading for students, early career practitioners, and anyone interested in sport psychology. Erin Prior is a BPS Chartered, HCPC registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist. As an applied practitioner, Erin works with a range of individuals, teams, and organisations across various sports. Alongside her applied practice, Erin is completing her PhD which is focused on athlete mental health, at Loughborough University. Tim Holder, PhD, is an HCPC Registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist, BPS Chartered and a BASES Fellow. He is an applied sport psychology consultant and supervisor to students working towards practitioner status in the UK. Tim is the Programme Leader for the MSc in Applied Sport Psychology at the University of Winchester, UK.

Introduction Case Studies Case Studies: An Introduction 1. Finding Your Voice: A Practical Self-Case Study of an Early Career Practitioner Integrating into a Professional Football Organisation Fionnuala Barnes 2. Playing with Heart: A Case-Study On Supporting Varsity Mental Health Anna Abraham 3. Parental Involvement and Online Consultancy Delivery: A Case Study of a Psychological Intervention with a 9-year-old Tennis Player Beth Yeoman 4. ‘Maybe your coach doesn’t like you…’: A Case Study using REBT Methods Betsy Tuffrey 5. Outside the Arena: Working as a Sport Psychologist with Non-Sporting High Performance Clients Harley de Vos 6. Everyone is Figuring it Out Along the Way: Diving Headfirst into the World of esports Bernadette Ramaker and Ismael Pedraza-Ramirez 7. Coaching Performance Excellence: A Performance Psychologist in the Role of Sports Coach Guy Matzkin Case Studies: In Conclusion Reflections Reflections: An Introduction 8. Pursuing a Dual Career within Sport Psychology: Reflections on Combining Practitioner Training with Academic Training Charlotte Hinchliffe 9. Living the 100year Life: Reflections on the (Re)training Process for a Subsequent Career in Sport & Exercise Psychology During Mid-Life Steven Vaughan 10. An Inside Job: The Journey from Elite Athlete to Sport Psychologist Karla Drew 11. Personalising a Sport Psychology Style for Individual and Team Consulting Megan Gossfeld 12. The World is your Oyster: Identifying and Selecting Opportunities for Practice Alban Dickson 13. Embedding Exercise Psychology in the Fitness World Clara Swedlund 14. What Dreams are Made of: A Sport Psychologist’s Reflection of their First International Tournament Erin Prior 15. The Things Your Training Didn’t Teach You: Challenging Conversations and Speaking to Power Joseph G. Dixon and Jennifer A. Hobson Reflections: In Conclusion Conclusion

Erin Prior is a BPS Chartered, HCPC registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist. As an applied practitioner, Erin works with a range of individuals, teams, and organisations across various sports. Alongside her applied practice, Erin is a completing her PhD which is focused on athlete mental health, at Loughborough University. Tim Holder, PhD is a HCPC Registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist, BPS Chartered and a BASES Fellow. He is an applied sport psychology consultant and supervisor to students working towards practitioner status in the UK. Tim is Programme Leader for the MSc in Applied Sport Psychology at the University of Winchester, UK.