What is Sport Psychology?
Sport Psychology involves the application of psychological skills and team-building to enhance performance. Sport Psychology is for anyone who wants to perform at their best-- it's not just for elite athletes. In fact, many of the skills learned during Sport Psychology training are transferable to other areas of life, including academics and career. Research on Sport Psychology has shown that it can help people develop mental toughness, experience better performance, have more "flow-state" or peak performance experiences, decrease performance jitters or freezing, improve injury recovery, and experience more enjoyment. Sport Psychology techniques can help teams communicate and function better.
Who is Sport Psychology for?
Sport Psychology interventions can be provided for individuals as well as teams/ groups. You don't have to be a professional athlete to want to experience your best performance in a competitive area of your life. Sport Psychology is not just for athletes or sports teams. Professionals in a variety of fields can benefit from applying the techniques of Sport Psychology to their professions. Virtually anyone that relies on the expert and refined execution of skills or on your performance and presentation could benefit from the techniques used in Sport Psychology (e.g., musicians, actors, public speakers, dancers etc.). Sport Psychology has also been used to improve the performance of business executives, managers, and even surgeons. If you work with a group of coworkers, your "team" could benefit from learning the techniques of Sport Psychology that apply to teams. If you want to perform at your best, then Sport Psychology is for you!
What kinds of topics are included in a Sport Psychology consultation?
Topics are focused on the needs of the individual or group. Below, you will find a list of more common topics, but this is not a comprehensive list.
Effective Goal Setting
Effective Communication
Relaxation Skills
Imagery for Performance Enhancement
Character Building
Modifying behavior
Creating a new team culture
Coaching Behaviors and Philosophies
Values Based Coaching
Enhancing Motivation
Confidence Building
Team-building and Cohesion
Conflict Management
Focus/ Concentration Skills
Achieving Sport-Life Balance
Mental Skills for Injury Recovery
Transferable Skills: Applying an Athletic Mindset to Academics and Career
Spectator and Parent Concerns
Developmental Issues in Sport (for Coaches and Parents-- tailored to the age of the athletes)
Who provides Sport Psychology services?
Sport Psychology services should be provided by a person who has been trained in at least a Master's degree program that teaches how to use mental skills to improve the performance of individuals and teams. Some Sport Psychology professionals are trained in Psychology Doctoral programs that prepare them to provide mental skills training and mental health services, since many athletes also encounter mental health concerns, like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, AD/HD, and learning disorders. One potential advantage of working with someone trained in Sport Psychology and mental health is that they are qualified to recognize when an athlete may need more than mental skills training.
Dr. Mae MacIntire has been working with athletes for over 10 years. She earned a Master's degree from Springfield College in Athletic Counseling, the Psychology department's Sport Psychology program and a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of North Texas. Dr. MacIntire has worked with high school and college athletes at the Division I, II, and III levels. She was a Division I college athlete after walking on to the University of Cincinnati rowing team. She has also coached Rowing at the high school and college level. She is currently a Licensed Psychologist in the state of Colorado.
What do Sport Psychology Services cost?
Single 30-45 minute Sessions:
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Individual Athlete, Parent, and Coach $125-150 per session
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Team: $240 (add-on only)
Individual Basic Package $425
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One initial assessment (30-45 mins) - Initial interview to help determine areas of need and a course of intervention.
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One observation session (30-45min)- Video, practice, or competition observations. Brief introduction of skills to practice.
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One skills session (45min) – This may be in the office or on the field, court, etc. Implementation and practice of mental skills to be practiced and used during competition.
Coach Consultant Basic Package $500
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One initial assessment (30-45 mins) - Initial interview to help determine areas of need and a course of intervention.
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One practice/game observation (30-45min) – Practice is observed and notes are taken to give an assessment and suggestions.
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2 Consultations (45min each): These are individual meetings with a coach(es) and/or assistant coach(es) to communicate mental strategies and ideas on how to implement them into the structure of their current team.
Team Basic Package $650
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$650 includes up to 20 athletes. $150 for each additional 10 athletes, which includes additional 30 minutes of skills sessions.
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One initial assessment (30-45 mins) - Initial interview to help determine areas of need and a course of intervention.
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One practice/game observation (30-45min) – Practice is observed and notes are taken to give an assessment and suggestions.
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1.5 hours of skills sessions– This is on the field, court, etc… implementation and practice of mental skills to be practiced and used during competition.
Parent Consult ($200):
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One initial assessment (30-45 min)- Initial interview to help determine areas of need and a course of intervention. Introduction of skills or information.
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One additional session (45min)- Discussion of skills and information implementation and general follow-up.
Travel Fees: $50 per hour of travel for locations outside of Grand Junction. If travel requires an overnight stay, due to the time of day, weather, or distance from Grand Junction, additional charges apply and are dependent on the cost of the stay.
** Please check back in July 2024 for updated contact and location.**