Performance
Portfolio of Work
University Of Western States
Masters in Sport & Performance Psychology
This page showcases the work I have created over the course of my Masters degree covering areas such as trends & research within the sport psychology field, an ethical and multicultural approach to my work as a sport psychology consultant as well as my philosophy and theoretical foundation and finally showcasing applied interventions with clients.
PLO1
Evaluate the predominant theories and emergent trends within the discipline of Sport & Performance Psychology
Theoretical Orientation to Performance Excellence (COUN6210)
Research Critique (COUN6550)
The first artifact addresses how 1.) self-determination theory (SDT) relates to positive psychology and 2.) how the application of components of STD and positive psychology impact on athletes’ performance across a variety of different sports. The second artifact takes a critical look at research that has been conducted on the use of self-talk in endurance sports. Both of the artifacts focus on some of my areas of special interest, i.e., use of mental skills in endurance sports and using the concepts of SDT to enhance performance.
As a professional in the sport psychology field and as a current professional in the physical rehabilitation and coaching realm I consider the application of SDT as key and the basis for a building a good and successful practitioner-client/athlete relationship and ultimately a key component to enhance athletes’ performance. The principles of SDT can and should be applied whenever we use mental skills training with our clients. Additionally, I consider self-talk a mental skill that most athletes have developed an awareness for, and rightly so, but that needs extensive dedicated practice and application that is relevant to the athlete and their sport. The principle of self-determination theory ties in with my theoretical orientation, the humanistic-existential approach specifically where self-actualization of the athlete is a motivational driver. An athlete’s drive and motivation and performance can be heightened by making autonomous decisions, and through exploring their values and aligning their actions to them athletes can find more meaning in their endeavours.
I wrote the STD artifact about halfway through the degree course when I already had a more solid grasp on the delivery of mental skills interventions and was able to see how the successful delivery was dependent on using principles of SDT. My knowledge of self-talk, especially its application, has grown since this artifact was written earlier on in the program. Reviewing both artifacts side by side highlighted my development throughout the program in my ability to critically assess and recognize relevant and good quality studies to support the application of mental skills and concepts such as self-determination theory.
I was unable to retrieve feedback on either artifact from the instructors. Having reviewed the artifacts with hindsight, I believe that I was able to make solid connections between the use of positive psychology and the increase of intrinsic motivation through the principles of SDT, especially autonomy. I think however that the positive psychology connection to higher performance could have been made more explicit for clarity. Both artifacts review relevant and up to date research in areas of sport and performance psychology that are of particular interest to my future practice. The skills developed in preparing these artifacts are valuable for my future practice as I aim to become and remain a scientist-practitioner.
PLO2
Distinguish between various ethical codes within the mental health counseling and performance consulting professions, and articulate the rationale for disparities among them
Ethical Case Analysis Part 3 (COUN6101)
Advocacy Plan (COUN6101)
I created the Ethical Case Study and Advocacy Plan very early on in the program establishing a strong basis concerning ethical standards for future practice of sport and performance psychology. The ethical case study demonstrates how to make an appropriate decision when facing an ethical dilemma by following an ethical decision-making model, and lastly provides suggested solutions to the ethical dilemmas encountered. The advocacy plan highlights the ethical conundrum and issues faced by the profession and athletes who might lose access to our services due to a long-standing injury or having to retire from their sport due to injury. A real-life issue and one close to my heart as I already work with injured athletes in the physical rehabilitation space.
The artifact is important to my future career as an SPP professional because I will inevitably face ethical dilemmas when working with athletes. The structured approach presented in this artifact improved my understanding and learning of how to work through ethical dilemmas. Without a strong ethical grounding I will not be able to successfully work in the profession for any length of time. The case analysis highlights the issues faced by a consultant contracted to fulfil dual roles for his organization. Boundaries and dual roles ethical dilemmas are very likely for us to encounter. In my particular case I am aware that I need to clearly define my role with a potential injured athlete that I might work with, be that from the point of view of the physical rehabilitator or more from the mental performance consultant side. Whilst my dual education is one of my strengths I have to be aware of boundary issues and dual role conflicts. Holding myself to the highest ethical standards is of utmost importance in the interest of my future clients as I need to keep their best interest, beneficence, and maleficence in mind. The most challenging aspect of creating the artifact was clearly thinking through the various options that are available to the consultant in the case analysis and the realization that there might not be a solution to an ethical case scenario that is perfect for all parties involved and weighing off which is the most beneficial for the client(s) involved.
I was unable to retrieve the feedback given by the instructor for the two artifacts. The case analysis would benefit from regular review and updates when there are relevant changes made to the AASP or ACA ethic codes and based on on-going ethical debates. The artifact is by no means a finished document. It might also benefit from updates after discussing ethical standards and real-life experiences we gain with peers or supervisors. Overall, the ethical case study could benefit from some sections being written in a more concise manner for clarity. Lastly, it could be valuable to add an addendum working through some real life ethical dilemmas I have encountered as a consultant.
The artifacts showcased and reminded me of the importance of having a structured approach when dealing with ethical dilemmas and the necessity to with every client think about potential ethical pitfalls that their case might present with. Furthermore, the advocacy plan reminded me of my desire to join up with the injured athletes special interest AASP group as it has become clear that this is a particular group of clients I would like to focus on in my future practice.
PLO3
Demonstrate, through presentation and in writing, the development of a professional consulting philosophy integrating the disciplines of psychology, sport science, and counseling
Mental Skills Curriculum (COUN6230)
Theoretical Orientation (COUN6110)
Both artifacts represent crucial components for being an effective sport psychology practitioner. The Mental Skills curriculum is a comprehensive, well researched and detailed document that covers the most important aspects of the practical skills that we deliver and teach, and the theoretical orientation artifact highlights our individual philosophical approach during when creating and delivering an effective program to our athletes.
I consider the MST curriculum artifact, one of the most significant artifacts, that I have submitted during my time here at UWS because it brought the separate mental skills that we had learnt about in previous modules together and presented them in a wider context and also presented how the skills can be taught to athletes, with each chapter including practical examples. Whilst Dr Condie did not suggest any improvements to be made to the paper and in fact asked me if I was happy for the paper to be used as an example paper for future quarters, I am of course aware that even a well-received paper can always be improved upon even if it is to just review and update new research findings into various chapters. My strength in developing the curriculum was in assimilating research and synthesizing information to produce a well-researched and in depth view of mental skills training. Whilst every chapter was written separately week after week, I was cognizant of the fact that it was important to develop a curriculum that connected different chapters to one another that had a logical story to follow. I consider this to have been the most challenging aspect of creating the curriculum.
I regularly go back to this artifact to review certain sections, or to use it for a quick reference for other courses. I have also used the curriculum as a basis for workshops and mental skills delivery sessions. Since producing this particular artifact, I have been able to actively use the MST techniques with athletes in real life, which has improved coaching immensely. At the same time, it made me more confident in responding to questions as to why these skills are so important and when to consider applying them. The artifact could be augmented in the future by adding some of my own brief case studies and more applied experience in an addendum.
The theoretical orientation artifact was developed near the start of the program, however, after reviewing it for my up to date TOPE for Capstone module I can say that the foundation of my theoretical orientation has remained the same with the addition of adding multicultural considerations to my transtheoretical/integrative orientation. This shows both that our orientation is largely based on our values but that it can develop and change over time, as we grow as practitioners. Since creating both artifacts I have grown my understanding of delivering mental skills training and more recently about the importance of embedding the delivery of the skills into my values, theoretical orientation, and philosophies, in order to become an effective sport psychology consultant.
PLO4
Develop culturally responsive consulting strategies based upon the relationships, issues, and trends within a multicultural society
Cultural Self-Project (COUN6150)
Cultural Plunge Project (COUN6155)
The cultural self artifact is an important project looking critically at aspects of my cultural upbringing ranging from generational (age) to disability, religion, race and ethnicity, social status, sexual orientation, to indigenous heritage, national origin, and gender. This exercise is important as it highlights how my unique cultural influence and status in society impacts on my biases when I deal with clients that represent a different cultural background from my own. The cultural plunge artifact ties into the topic from a different viewpoint as it required me to take a deep dive into netball, a sport I was unfamiliar with and in that I had certain prejudices about.
In order to become culturally competent practitioners who are confident in dealing with athletes from different cultural backgrounds and sports we must know ourselves first and should have a good sense of self and what cultural aspects influenced our identity development. The cultural self artifact was an important exercise in evaluating myself and therefore identifying potential bias towards certain clients. Additionally, it is important from an ethical consulting perspective (beneficence/maleficence, justice) to continuously improve our learning and self-awareness around our biases. This exercise was challenging as it highlighted aspects of my personality, character and behavior that required more awareness around biases and unwanted countertransference. Whilst this artifact is foundational, I plan to revisit it and expand on it where necessary as I grow my multicultural competence as a consultant.
Feedback from Dr Vitatoe was limited to improving adherence to APA, as overall he considered the artifact well supported by relevant and up to date research. This particular artifact was influential in my decision to include the multicultural lens in my integrative/transtheoretical theoretical orientation. I had not previously ignored it as an aspect influencing my practice but I now incorporate it in my TOPE intentionally.
This cultural plunge artifact was an important lesson in confronting some of my own biases towards a particular sport that I knew very little about before starting my in-depth research. It also highlighted the importance of, as practitioners, immersing ourselves in sports that we may not be as familiar with, especially if we plan on working with a wider range of clients. Experiencing the sport as a spectator and then maybe even firsthand in a practice session can give us more of an appreciation for the specific requirements and challenges that an athlete experiences in the sport from a practical point of view. This artifact is also important as I did not just immerse myself into a new sport from a technical point of view, but it helped me understand the cultural aspect surrounding netball such as socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation and race, and ethnicity. Feedback by Dr Moore centered around some sections benefiting from more concise statements but did not include any critique regarding the content or quality of research it was based on. The plunge artifact could serve as blueprint for when I am required to immerse myself in a sport. I am less familiar with in my future as a consultant. Both artifacts highlight the importance of having a growth mindset when it comes to cultural awareness and competence and the need for life-long learning to continue to grow and remain abreast of cultural changes.
PLO5
Create performance enhancement interventions incorporating a variety of research-supported techniques to enhance performance and improve overall wellness.
MST Injury Intervention Plan (COUN6235)
Evidence Based Treatment Plan (COUN6120)
Both artifacts are incredibly useful contributions that will positively influence my future work as a sport psychology performance consultant. The evidenced based plan is a condensed, highly structured plan, including weekly goals for the intervention, homework to be done by the client and ways to assess progress of the interventions planned.
The MST Injury Intervention artifact on the other hand goes into more detail as to the research support behind interventions suggested for the athlete and the rationale for using particular mental skills.
The MST intervention based artifact is more relevant to my future practice from a practical point of view as a sport psychologist. It draws from the MST curriculum presented in PLO3 and applies the knowledge to a real life client of mine. As a rehabilitation specialist working with injured athletes on a regular basis athletes and consider being able to utilize mental skills in addition to physical rehabilitation as a big asset. In addition, I would also like to provide mental skills training only to injured athletes when they receive physiotherapy treatments from other practitioners. I see the second approach as less problematic as I am less likely to encounter any ethical questions regarding fulfilling multiple roles and boundaries. Whilst my dual education overall can be a strength, it could also be a weakness if I try to fulfill too many roles for the same client at the same time.
The treatment intervention artifact as per instructions focuses on providing mental skills training to athletes through the three stages of rehabilitation and is somewhat formulaic, as a guide to follow. In real life there may be more work to be done around stress management, ensuring that the athlete has social support from a variety of sources and possibly even facilitating interaction between the rehabilitation team. The artifact would have also benefitted from a more detailed conceptualization of the case taking into account my theoretical orientation. The artifact serves as a good starting point to ensure that injured athletes can return to sports performance and aid their overall well-being. I will be including a small addition to the final artifact to be uploaded as Dr Sawchuk rightly suggested to provide a more detailed description of to specific relaxation techniques I would employ with the athlete.
The evidence based treatment artifact is in a sense a shorthand version of the MST intervention artifact. For daily use in practice, it is a useful template to follow once we have assessed the athlete’s goals and needs and having aligned our planned intervention with our TOPE. The artifact also highlights the importance of understanding the clients and therapists goal for therapy, progress towards which should be assessed along the way as described in the treatment plan. I am unable to retrieve the feedback received from the instructor on this artifact. Having reviewed the artifact I remember that I found the measurement type and timeline portion of the treatment plan as most challenging. I now understand that this is a skill and knowledge developed over time and that this aspect of a treatment plan can be flexible to a degree as progress from week to week may not always be linear depending on the athlete.
Both artifacts have contributed greatly to having confidence in my ability to assimilate my knowledge and the skills acquired throughout the program and to be able put them to effective use with clients in a structured and evidence based manner.