Sport & Performance Psychology
Helping you perform optimally
Sport & Performance Psychology
Through evidenced-based psychological interventions, individuals are able to further develop the mental states needed for optimal performance, and cognitive skills that help to overcome difficult conditions. Performance psychology principles are employed to assist professionals at the top of their game to produce superior results, especially when working under high-pressure situations.
Performance psychology focuses on identifying and applying psychological principles to help you with the below areas:
- Facilitate and enhance peak performance and participation in a specific area
- Have your mental game (or skills) match your physical or technical skills
- Develop a psychological skill set for high-performance settings
- Better manage performance anxiety
- Ultimately help you achieve optimal performance
Psychology is not just about helping to fix, or minimise problems; it can also be used to help you focus and find a confident mindset to achieve your goals and perform optimally. These sessions can be useful when you:
- Have an important event, such as high-level exams or competitions that you need to prepare for
- Find anxiety or lack of confidence is holding you back from achieving your potential
- Take on a new, or challenging role in your performance/work area
- Require a focused and confident mindset
- Want to find more enjoyment in your high-performance area
Who Can this Benefit?
People who can benefit from engaging with a Sport & Performance Psychologist include but are not limited to:
Athletes
– Preparing for a competition
– In need of performance profiling (breaking down your performance in your sport)
Academics
– Sitting high-pressured exams
– Who have a high-volume caseload
Business Executives
– With a high-pressure job
– With high-volume caseloads
Performers
– Rehearsing for a performance
– In need of mental strategies for optimal performance
Medical Professional
– Sitting high-pressured exams
– In need of mental strategies for optimal focus for long periods of time
The Optimal Performance State of Flow
What is Flow?
“An optimal psychological state, where one is totally focused on the task at hand, self-consciousness and worry disappears, and both performance and enjoyment are at optimal levels.”
Our Sport and Performance psychologist helps individuals gain optimal performance through evidence-based strategies including facilitating the optimal psychological state of “Flow”. When you are in Flow, you are in a state of total focus on the task at hand. We usually perform at our best, because we are concentrating only on our performance. When in flow, nothing distracts you or worries you – your focus is fully engrossed in the moment and in what you are doing. Finding Flow enables you to sharpen your focus and your skill and ultimately still enjoy your craft with ease.
Sue has recently published a new book called Experiencing Flow: Life Beyond Boredom and Anxiety. In Experiencing Flow, Sue combines her academic background of having worked for many years as a psychology researcher with practical skills drawn from her extensive clinical experience, to help anyone interested in high performance or finding more enjoyment in their endeavours. Available now from Amazon.com.au
Booking an Appointment
Dr. Sue Jackson is an experienced Consultant Psychologist who has a particular interest in Sport & Performance Psychology and working with individuals who are preparing for high-performance events, such as medical exams, sport challenges, and artistic performances. Dr. Sue has a strong and diverse background of training and is passionate about making a positive difference in her clients’ lives.