Andy Gillham, Ph.D., performance psychology coach, discusses the differences between applied and clinical performance psychology, mental health challenges in youth athletes, and ways for sports mental health professionals to work with young athletes and their parents.
Applied sports psychology focuses on performance enhancement and specific challenges within a sporting context, while clinical sports psychology addresses severe mental health issues.
Coaches play a crucial role in supporting the mental health of young athletes by building relationships, providing individualized coaching, and distinguishing between normal concerns and clinical problems.
Deep dives
Difference Between Applied and Clinical Performance Psychology
In this podcast episode, the guest, Dr. Andy Gillam, discusses the difference between applied and clinical performance psychology. Applied sports psychology focuses on training coaches and providing support to athletes at a competitive level. The emphasis is on enhancing performance, goal setting, and addressing specific challenges within a sporting context. On the other hand, clinical sports psychology deals with more severe mental health issues and requires specialized training and certification. Dr. Gillam highlights the importance of understanding that not every challenge faced by young athletes requires clinical intervention, and it's important to distinguish between normal concerns and clinical problems.
The Role of Coaches in Mental Health Support
The podcast explores the role of coaches in supporting the mental health of young athletes. Coaches are often seen as surrogate parents and play a vital role in building relationships with their athletes. They need to be attentive and communicate effectively with the athletes to understand their experiences and concerns. Dr. Gillam emphasizes the importance of individualized coaching and creating a safe space for athletes to express their fears or struggles. He believes that coaches should be trained to recognize and address psychological stressors, while understanding the difference between normal emotional responses and clinical issues.
The episode concludes with advice on finding reputable applied or clinical performance professionals. Dr. Gillam recommends the Association for Applied Sports Psychology's website, which provides a consultant finder to locate certified mental performance consultants. It's important to establish a trustworthy relationship with professionals who listen and understand individual needs. Additionally, he encourages parents, coaches, and administrators to seek support from local hospitals, psychologists, or specialists in behavioral health. Dr. Gillam highlights that the focus should be on finding professionals who can provide personalized assistance and contribute to the overall well-being and success of young athletes.
This episode's conversation with Andy Gillham, Ph.D., performance psychology coach at Sanford Sports, covers a number of topics related to applied and clinical performance psychology, including:
The differences between applied and clinicial performance psychology, including key training differences in the two disciplices and what populations benefit from each,
Mental health challenges in today's youth and adolescent athletes, and how parents and coaches can help,
Six (6) ways for sports mental health professionals to work with young athletes and their parents/guardians.
Bio: Dr. Gillham works primarily with coaches and athletic administrators on improving systematic coach evaluation and provides targeted professional development opportunities for coaches and programs. He has helped athletes and coaches ranging from youth through professional, as well as administrators and business executives in Canada and the United States to improve their performance. In addition to his applied work, Dr. Gillham has published more than 40 articles in peer-reviewed academic journals on performance psychology.