Sport and Performance Psychology: What’s in a Name?

People ask me all the time: what is a sport and performance psychologist, and how does that professional differ from other psychologists, therapists, and psychiatrists? And why do you refer to your practice as ‘performance psychology?’

These are great questions. I’m going to give a very brief overview to try to keep my answer straightforward as possible. I encourage any of you to reach out to me with questions. I am happy to elaborate and am always here to guide people who are considering a career in mental health.

First of all, let’s talk about the difference between psychiatrists and psychologists. A psychiatrist is an M.D., meaning he or she has graduated from medical school and completed a residency in psychiatry. A psychiatrist can work with people in therapy and can also prescribe medication and oversee psychiatric hospitalizations.

A psychologist has obtained a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in psychology. There are many types of psychologists, for instance, social psychologists, clinical psychologists, organizational psychologists, forensic psychologists—just to name a few.

Clinical psychologists, like myself, have had research and clinical components to their training, and have completed both pre- and post-doctoral internships. Clinical psychologists treat people with psychological disorders and conditions, much the same as psychiatrists, except that they generally do not prescribe medicine. Clinical psychologists, similar to psychiatrists, work in different ways, depending on their training. Some specialize in cognitive behavioral treatment or family therapy or psychoanalysis, again just to name a few. Many psychologists also perform psychological testing (to help with diagnosis and treatment of disorders and conditions).

There are many other Master’s level therapists as well, such as licensed clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, and licensed counselors. Given the broad spectrum of mental health professionals, it’s no wonder people are confused.

Now for the fun part—What is a sport and performance psychologist? The American Psychological Association describes our specialty as one that applies psychological principles to facilitate peak sport performance, helping people participate in physical activity and achieve optimal human performance in various realms.

Personally, I was initially trained as a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst. I spent many years treating adults and adolescents, as well as teaching for various hospitals and clinical internships. After I left clinical practice, I started a consulting practice focused on educating and advising teachers, administrators, and parents. My life path then led me naturally to sport and performance psychology—specifically working with competitive equestrians (like myself and my daughters) and their support systems (parents, trainers, and coaches). If you’d like to learn more about my education, experience, and background, please check out the About page and C.V. on my website.

Given that I now work mainly with athletes, specifically equestrian athletes, why do I call myself a ‘performance psychologist?’ To be frank, ‘sport and performance psychology’ is a cumbersome name! But more importantly, the term seems redundant to me. I consider performance’ to be a broad term that encompasses sport performance and much more.

In my experience, optimal performance in sport is inseparable from optimal performance outside of sport. Peak performance emerges from a foundation of mental health and psychological resilience.

In other words, habits, skills, and strategies for psychological and overall health are also those that also support top performance. As I frequently remind my clients, every one of us brings our psychology—meaning our mental/emotional strengths, patterns, and vulnerabilities—into the saddle or whatever sport we compete in. Hence, the better we know ourselves and the better we feel, the better we perform.

My goal with every client is to perform optimally in all areas of life—to and to enjoy themselves while they are doing it. To me, that is the definition of thriving.