Whether through a formal assessment or questionnaire tool, or even through conversation in a consulting session, as a practitioner I find it to be inspiring when a client has a different perspective. It can be in these moments when we find out critical information about the client related to how they perceive. Take TOPS (Thomas et al., 1999) for example. In this assessment we are examining how clients are deploying mental skills in their practice and performance. As a practitioner, I may review those results in the context of what the client is actively practicing. The client however may not feel connected to the results if they cannot identify exactly how they may have been using a specific skill even though it may have been happening. This type of scenario would have me begin to think that the client’s perception is impacting how they carry out their practice of mental skills. In this situation I might lean on questions or prompts like this: “Could it also be true that…?” “Tell me more about how you see yourself in this situation.” “What might I be missing?” A caution I hold in this space is bearing in mind that the goal is not to bring the client to understand my perspective, and believe it, but rather to meet them where they are at and only bring them to my perspective if it may be of value to them. Having to determine the best course in these situations has been a challenge for me. I have been navigating this space by using these trusted phrases: “Another way to look at it might be this___, how does that land for you?” “This is a suggestion, not a direction.” “What matters most here is how you can find the path to get the results you are trying for, there can be many paths to get there.” Admittedly my use of assessments is only starting to grow, but what I do count on already, is that it can sometimes be useful if the client perceives them differently than I do, because it opens the door to understanding them even better. It may also be helpful to evaluate assessments as merely a tool, never an absolute which only makes it easier for us to use them as a launching point for deeper connection and understanding of our clients.

@Wendell Otto I appreciate the extra consideration to whether assessments may be appropriate given the scenario had us consider collaboration, flexibility, and integration. Particularly when a client is requiring a review or recalibration of goals, it may not be the right moment to bring in an assessment, when using inquiry and conversation to assess may fit the bill. One thing I am observing, the more I work with clients, is the variance between personalities, and approaches to performance. Some like tools such as assessments because to them it may feel more quantifiable, others prefer to talk through issues and take consideration from all sides. If I am truly offering client centred care, then I must keep my methods open and build my own skills of reading and interpreting client needs. I also like to hear the recommendation of how to precisely frame goals. I was recently working with a client who liked some of the goal statements we were collaborating on, and truly lit up with connection (love to see a lightbulb moment!) when we established the option to create some prompts in helpful places with sticky notes or cue cards. The goal statements were the thought starters to get the client into the mindset that would be helpful to achieve process goals. Sometimes the prompt statements need to be “do” statements, and other times they need to be “feel” statements. The example for this client was the latter: a reminder note that they do not have to feel excited to go to the gym, but they do need to remember that they will feel good when they arrive and begin their workout (based on the evidence of every experience they have had so far). Reworking statements, and situating reminders and prompts can not only be helpful for clients, but also a great exercise in creativity.

@Wendell Otto Thank you for the challenge to add even more precision. I am hearing from this feedback that if we leave it too broad, we could be positioning the client to be influenced by other variables that may come up. If we plan for those variables, the client is better positioned to proceed with confidence.

Thank you for your thoughts on this Dr. Otto. It is clear why you are the Mentor! Until you brought forward the observation that neutrality and validation do not work in opposition, I see that I may have been examining the two constructs on a binary. I could reexamine my experiences with the consideration that my demonstration of validation, does not automatically diminish my neutrality. If validation is carried out with enthusiasm in combination with meaning making, it can also be a demonstration of a safe space to explore challenging experiences. I see now how exposure of my personal beliefs does not inherently mean I am leading clients, but rather can help demonstrate my interest and understanding of their situation.

Hi George, Thank you for your engagement! I appreciate your close up on the matter of coach-athlete relations in this context. While we untangle the challenge of ethical boundaries, it is also true that there is fragility at play with helping athletes address situations of real or perceived discrimination. In my experience these situations are often not overt instances, but rather microaggressions the athlete faces, making addressing the issue sometimes difficult with many sport teams’ policies and codes. Additionally, athletes are often preferring to work through situations with their position on the team remaining intact as the priority. I often think this is why working with us as practitioners is the avenue by which athletes wish to disclose and explore these concerns. When I reflect upon athletes I have worked with I wonder if my instinct to reflect enthusiasm rises up as a method of uninhibited assurance, given that they often hesitate to reveal to teammates and coaches discrimination they may experience.

Hi, @Tanelle Smith , Spending time examining scenarios together can be so helpful. In this example you shared of a cheer athlete attending tryouts, my first instinct was to examine what the domain and conditions may be like to review and demystify with the athlete. Your instinct was quite clever, in helping the performer set up a mindset that allowed them to demonstrate flexibility no matter what scenario they encounter with tryouts. Either of these strategies may work, yet yours seems to have less risk, and longer term benefits. While demystification may overlap with cognitive restructuring, equipping performers with the ability to lean into confidence whenever they face the unknown, takes away the variables that may interfere with even the most well thought out preparation. Supporting performers through uncertainty seems to involve a mix of confidence, trust, and the promotion of adaptability (which of course many performers know how to reach for, and often simply need the reminder). I am glad to have had a glimpse into the work you are doing, and sense that your athlete will be well prepared!

Hi @Corel Anthony , I like that you brought this up and would love to know more about how you consider spiritual beliefs to impact one’s approach to uncertainty. If I consider athletes I have worked with who overlay their spiritual practice with performance, it most often comes up in preparation routines where prayer is involved. If I consider what I have observed with such athletes, it could be said that in a preparation routine, prayer is centered around the “everything else” that is beyond the control of other preparatory activities. Looking at this practice with simply a scientific lens, prayer for some, can be a positive self-talk methodology where the disruption of uncertainty in thoughts can be shifted to a place of acceptance. Some describe prayer as “handing over” concerns to a higher power. Again, looking at this with a practitioner lens, the act of handing over through prayer could also be a version of a cognitive restructuring. The beautiful part of prayer as an intervention, is that it serves the individual’s values in a natural applied performance psychology approach. Of course, leaning into spiritual practice is an intervention that requires the consideration of all personal views in relation to the team or domain, with the goal of respecting various backgrounds. I wonder if these ideas are what you had in mind when you considered spiritual beliefs in the space of uncertainty, or if perhaps you had another view not as centered on prayer for example.

Hi @Timothee Maloney, I want to zero in on the perspective you provide here on the notion of potential solutions that arise during consulting offering a space to focus. In my experience, I have tended to try and downplay an immediate jump to solutions for fear of leaping to the end with preconceived notions rather than letting the client’s story unfold. Conversely what you offer is both functional and honours the human side of the consultant experience. Much like we may often offer to our clients, it is best not to judge our perceptions straight away, rather there is a power in letting them be and remain curious about why they popped up. This ultimately becomes a skill that requires honing because there is importance in balancing how we simultaneously listen, support, untangle, and guide clients in managing their performance challenges. Your lens on this is much appreciated!

Hi @Tanelle Smith , Sitting with pauses is such a critical skill that can feel so counterintuitive at first. When I first began consulting, I found a juxtaposition between fixating on wanting to share and unfold all of the sport psychology knowledge I had recently attained and allowing for a session to be led by the client with a “less is more” mentality. However, the more time I spend with clients, and the more confidence I develop, I realize that sometimes the best support we can offer is through being a pillar of reflection at the ready with theoretical knowledge to apply at just the right time. As humans however, sitting in pauses can feel terribly insecure, especially if we align our worth (sometimes in the measurement of being paid by the client) with offering observations and knowledge throughout a session. Typically though if we follow the notion that @George Smith offered: that the performer inevitably owns the solution, we can indeed reach a meaningful outcome as you describe.