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Consulting Philosophy

Here you can read the Consulting Philosophy that guides my work and the way I approach the Psychology of High Performance

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Consulting Philosophy

When people ask me what I do, I reply that I work in High Performance Psychology. My job is to work with performers (mostly athletes, but not limited to the sports population) to achieve a greater sense of physical and mental wellbeing that will lead to a higher performance. I achieve this through a collaborative process of self-awareness, discovery, compassion, and commitment to achieve growth.
My consulting philosophy revolves around basic beliefs and values, theories of intervention, and objectives of the performance psychology intervention.
 

Objectives of the High Performance Psychology Consultation

  1. Provide the performer with the right mental tools to perform optimally, allowing them to have the mental edge in competitive/evaluating situations.
  2. Help the performer develop techniques and tools that go beyond performance, helping her or him obtain a better quality of life.
  3. Become irrelevant at some point to the performer, in the sense that the performer will develop and master the techniques to a point where s/he is able to be aware of the situation and use the appropriate technique/behavior.

Basic beliefs and values

1.     The interaction between thoughts, feelings, physiology, and behaviors are crucial for well-being and high performance.
2.     Performers have a personality and identity that develops from values, motives, self-esteem and typical behaviors. Although the personality and identity are quite stable, the environment and relationships with people within this environment can help performers adapt to different situation.
3.     Dedication and commitment are required to achieve high performance.
4.     Adversity is a part of the path to find high performance. Performers need to learn to view adversities as learning experiences, develop strategies to embrace the difficult moments and cope with them.
5.     Autonomy is paramount in working with performers. When high performers are allowed to think and take responsibility for their own development, they are more motivated and learn better.
6.     Outcomes are an important part of high performance, however focusing on the process is the way to achieve the highest levels of performance.
7.     The mental component plays a major role in the development of high performance, not only during competition or the moment when the client needs to perform but also during training/practice. In order to perform at your best, deliberate practice of your skill is required.
8.     Mental skills should be developed in the performer’s environment. Mental skills training should be integrated into daily activities and coaches/mentors play an important role in mental development.
9.     Every mental skill technique used in the process of achieving high performance is based on theory. I adopt a scientist-practitioner model in which my choice of intervention is based on academic research.
10.  Techniques and tools used during the process are not only intended for high performance but more importantly, they can use as life-skills to have a better wellbeing.

Theories of Intervention 

Psychology is characterized by a variety of theoretical paradigms that are used to describe the nature of people and their problems and to determine the best intervention in order to help people overcome their difficulties and reach higher levels of performance. Although most of the theories and schools of thought can conflict, I believe that in the applied setting of performance psychology, different theories complement each other in an effective manner.
There are two main psychological theories that guide my work with performers, namely Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Theory (ACT).