FAQ
Why do you call yourself a performance coach and NOT a sport psychologist?
There are 2 types of applied practitioners in the field of sport, exercise, and performance psychology. A "sport psychologist" is a licensed psychologist who is capable of working with both mental health/clinical and performance-related issues or works on mental health/clinical issues in the context of sport. A "mental performance coach" is not a psychologist; we are essentially teachers. We help provide people with knowledge and information about the role of the mind in performance, mental training, and team/organization dynamics. We give people information that can help them and/or their teams perform optimally. Know what type of practitioner you want/need and ensure that the practitioner you are looking to work with has the expertise to help you.
What do you see as the role you are playing as a performance coach?
Performance coaching is multifaceted and so is the human dynamic and performance. Thus, depending on several factors, I often play many roles as a performance coach, such as: the mirror providing the outside, objective perspective and opportunity for growth, the teacher bringing in the science and my expertise, the dot connector between my clients and the science or across situations and sessions, the challenger enabling people and teams to step into their stretch zones, the confidante who demonstrates trust, caring, and investment in the clients, the guide helping to set and navigate the compass of our work together, the sounding board so clients can share thoughts, feelings, and experiences, and always the listener so clients feel heard and so that all these other aims can be accomplished. The aim is always to be a value add to the clients as they learn about mindset, leadership, and team culture so they can more consistently align performance with potential and reach their goals.
I don't have a "problem", why do I need performance coaching?
The reality of performance is that it comes with both its rewards and challenges. Most, if not all, performance domains will entail encountering pressure situations and adversity, and will require continued growth and development. And the human dynamic is multifaceted and complex. So for teams/organizations, there are always going to be challenges in effectively working with others. As Robin Vealey stated in her book, Coaching for the Inner Edge (2005), "mental training doesn't work to 'shrink' athletes (performers). If anything, it's designed to 'stretch' the potential of athletes (performers) or to 'enlarge' their capacity to perform better, to develop more fully, and to enjoy sport (performance) more." Mental performance coaching arms you with the knowledge needed to leverage your mind and/or your team's potential.
For one-on-one coaching, why do you require a commitment of several sessions, hours, or months?
Though it's true that we often use the word "talent" to describe successful performers, most evidence points to the fact that what looks like talent is actually the result of intense, effortful practice over time, strong motivation and dedication, and the availability of opportunities and resources. Dr. Anders Ericsson, one of the most world-renowned researchers of expert performance, calls this the iceberg illusion. When we see "talented" performers, the knowledge they have learned and things they have done every day for years in preparation for this performance is invisible to us so we mistakenly assume they are born with a natural ability to perform well (discussed in detail in Matthew Syed's book Bounce and Ericsson and Pool's book Peak). Further, the mind and human dynamic are complex. Building our knowledge and understanding how to put that information to use effectively takes time. Thus, clients need to have 3 characteristics: 1) commitment - a willingness to invest in themselves and the learning process, 2) openness - a willingness learn about themselves and the psychology of performance, and 3) ownership - an intention to pursue growth, get out of their comfort zones, and take ownership over applying what they are learning. Performance coaching and igniting and sustaining peak performance aren't like getting your tonsils out but rather brushing your teeth every day.
Why should I work with you versus another performance coach?
This is a very important question. It's essential that you find the right coach for you or your team/organization. Each performance coach has a different personality, background, expertise, and approach to doing this work. This is one of the goals of our initial consultation: to determine if my background and approach to performance coaching is the right fit for you and if we are the right fit for each other.
Where do sessions take place (can they be done virtually)?
Sessions can be done either in-person or virtually. During our initial consultation we will discuss and determine what works best for you. For in-person sessions, some clients choose for convenience to meet at their own offices/locations while for others an office space is booked at a convenient location for the meeting. Virtual sessions are done via Zoom. Both individual and group sessions can be done in-person and/or virtually.
I'm interested. How do I get started?
Great! The first thing to do is contact me to set up an initial consultation. We first need to discuss what type of services you are interested in/might best fit and the availability for those services. Then, if we decide to work together we will get the process going or determine next steps.
There are 2 types of applied practitioners in the field of sport, exercise, and performance psychology. A "sport psychologist" is a licensed psychologist who is capable of working with both mental health/clinical and performance-related issues or works on mental health/clinical issues in the context of sport. A "mental performance coach" is not a psychologist; we are essentially teachers. We help provide people with knowledge and information about the role of the mind in performance, mental training, and team/organization dynamics. We give people information that can help them and/or their teams perform optimally. Know what type of practitioner you want/need and ensure that the practitioner you are looking to work with has the expertise to help you.
What do you see as the role you are playing as a performance coach?
Performance coaching is multifaceted and so is the human dynamic and performance. Thus, depending on several factors, I often play many roles as a performance coach, such as: the mirror providing the outside, objective perspective and opportunity for growth, the teacher bringing in the science and my expertise, the dot connector between my clients and the science or across situations and sessions, the challenger enabling people and teams to step into their stretch zones, the confidante who demonstrates trust, caring, and investment in the clients, the guide helping to set and navigate the compass of our work together, the sounding board so clients can share thoughts, feelings, and experiences, and always the listener so clients feel heard and so that all these other aims can be accomplished. The aim is always to be a value add to the clients as they learn about mindset, leadership, and team culture so they can more consistently align performance with potential and reach their goals.
I don't have a "problem", why do I need performance coaching?
The reality of performance is that it comes with both its rewards and challenges. Most, if not all, performance domains will entail encountering pressure situations and adversity, and will require continued growth and development. And the human dynamic is multifaceted and complex. So for teams/organizations, there are always going to be challenges in effectively working with others. As Robin Vealey stated in her book, Coaching for the Inner Edge (2005), "mental training doesn't work to 'shrink' athletes (performers). If anything, it's designed to 'stretch' the potential of athletes (performers) or to 'enlarge' their capacity to perform better, to develop more fully, and to enjoy sport (performance) more." Mental performance coaching arms you with the knowledge needed to leverage your mind and/or your team's potential.
For one-on-one coaching, why do you require a commitment of several sessions, hours, or months?
Though it's true that we often use the word "talent" to describe successful performers, most evidence points to the fact that what looks like talent is actually the result of intense, effortful practice over time, strong motivation and dedication, and the availability of opportunities and resources. Dr. Anders Ericsson, one of the most world-renowned researchers of expert performance, calls this the iceberg illusion. When we see "talented" performers, the knowledge they have learned and things they have done every day for years in preparation for this performance is invisible to us so we mistakenly assume they are born with a natural ability to perform well (discussed in detail in Matthew Syed's book Bounce and Ericsson and Pool's book Peak). Further, the mind and human dynamic are complex. Building our knowledge and understanding how to put that information to use effectively takes time. Thus, clients need to have 3 characteristics: 1) commitment - a willingness to invest in themselves and the learning process, 2) openness - a willingness learn about themselves and the psychology of performance, and 3) ownership - an intention to pursue growth, get out of their comfort zones, and take ownership over applying what they are learning. Performance coaching and igniting and sustaining peak performance aren't like getting your tonsils out but rather brushing your teeth every day.
Why should I work with you versus another performance coach?
This is a very important question. It's essential that you find the right coach for you or your team/organization. Each performance coach has a different personality, background, expertise, and approach to doing this work. This is one of the goals of our initial consultation: to determine if my background and approach to performance coaching is the right fit for you and if we are the right fit for each other.
Where do sessions take place (can they be done virtually)?
Sessions can be done either in-person or virtually. During our initial consultation we will discuss and determine what works best for you. For in-person sessions, some clients choose for convenience to meet at their own offices/locations while for others an office space is booked at a convenient location for the meeting. Virtual sessions are done via Zoom. Both individual and group sessions can be done in-person and/or virtually.
I'm interested. How do I get started?
Great! The first thing to do is contact me to set up an initial consultation. We first need to discuss what type of services you are interested in/might best fit and the availability for those services. Then, if we decide to work together we will get the process going or determine next steps.